It’s been an interesting year in PA Politics: great for some, career-ending for others. These are the people who end the year at the top of their game, and the people who would have been better off if 2010 had never happened.

State Senator Mike O’Pake. His legacy of fighting for children, the elderly, and his native Reading speaks for itself, and the bipartisan outpouring of sentiment for PA’s longest-serving legislator from colleagues and constituents is truly touching. There’s no doubt he got through St. Peter’s Gate swiftly. After all, we’re sure he had a map. Public […]

PoliticsPA releases our year-end list of Ups and Downs. The Daily News takes a deeper look at the impact of the stimulus. More chatter about Vick, Eagles, Rendell, Obama, etc. City councils around the state work to finalize city budgets, and 2010 is coming to a close. Have a Happy New Year, and see you in 2011.

Costa Secures Funding to Complete Great Allegheny Trail Leaders Say $750,000 Grant Provides Final Push to Completion   Harrisburg, December 30, 2010 — Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa is pleased to announce $750,000 in state redevelopment assistance grant money has been awarded to complete the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) project. Until now, a one-mile long […]

Senator-Elect Pat Toomey Makes Key Hires to In-State Senate Staff Allentown – Senator-Elect Pat Toomey announced a number of key hires for his Pennsylvania Senate offices, including, State Director, Deputy State Director, Western PA Director, Eastern PA Director, Regional Manager for the Lehigh Valley, Regional Manager for Northwest Pennsylvania, and Regional Manager for Southeast Pennsylvania. […]

Former Berks Commissioner Judy Schwank looks like the front runner for the late Senator O’Pake’s seat. Pro-life are groups targeting Casey in 2012, despite his pro-life identity – an ironic turn of fate given the pro-choice flak he received during the 2006 primary. In Montco, the Commissioner drama continues. And Allegheny Comptroller Flaherty will run for County Executive, no matter what Onorato decides to do. Good Thursday morning, and welcome to the buzz.

Post-Gazette: According to a key adviser, Allegheny County Controller Mark Flaherty has decided to enter next year’s county executive race regardless of whether the incumbent, Dan Onorato, seeks another term.

Judy Schwank, who served as Berks County Commissioner from 2000-2007, has emerged as a clear favorite to fill Mike O’Pake’s now-vacant State Senate seat. Party insiders on each side of the aisle are talking about Schwank, with operatives in both parties agreeing that she is a prohibitive favorite is she decides to run.

Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson can’t decide who he likes less, Michael Vick or Barack Obama. In a discussion about Obama’s recent praise of Vick, Carlson said that he should have been executed for dogfighting. Carlson was filling in for Sean Hannity.

Corbett welcomes a showdown with the state employee unions, Pittsburgh City Council just can’t seem to pass a budget, preliminary details emerge on the special election to fill Sen. O’Pake’s seat, and Governor Rendell was right! If the game had been played on Sunday, as Rendell loudly advocated, Adrian Peterson (who ran for 118 yards and a TD) may not even have played.