Congressman Joe Pitts. The Clarksville Republican surfaced during an FBI investigation of Pakistani agents seeking to influence U.S. foreign policy by illegally donating money to members of Congress. But that was the extent of the bad news for Pitts, who was otherwise exonerated by the FBI and donated the contribution to charity.
Congressman Mike Kelly. The former Notre Dame defensive lineman led the drive to garner support among the Republican caucus for a bill that was unpalatable to Democrats and DOA in the Senate. It seems to us that voting “like a champion” will involve crafting and supporting a bill that could actually pass Congress.
Mike Turzai. The House Majority Leader deserves credit for flying solo in his zealous defense of his liquor privatization legislation. Accomplishing that goal – which Governor Corbett shares as well – isn’t going t be easy. But the jury is still out, even among Republicans, as to whether Turzai’s proposal will be the one to finally send Keystone State spirits into the private sector.
Amazon.com. After the online retail giant went out of its way to pucker up to Governor Corbett and the GOP-led state legislature, its hiring practices encountered enough problems to warrant a lengthy piece in the Morning Call. Like an affiliate site that doesn’t ship its products on time, Amazon’s “seller rating” isn’t as positive as it was at the beginning of the week.
Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. Cawley deserves kudos for his meaningful work chairing a commission which delivered a comprehensive report on an almost incomprehensively complex industry in less than four months. But time (specifically, the fall legislative session) will tell whether the commission’s recommendations are acceptable to the General Assembly – or whether the bits of underlying criticism go mainstream.