Totalitarian Pennsylvania Update.

***** UPDATE *****

Ack! Term limits! Now!

Harrisburg Patriot-News: State House elects Philly Republican as speaker
It was an interesting afternoon on the House floor to say the least. But when the dust cleared, Philadelphia Republican Dennis M. O’Brien was elected House speaker.

O'Brien was elected speaker with 105 votes. He defeated outgoing Speaker John Perzel, who garnered 97 votes.

It is speculated that O'Brien will switch parties, but that has not been confirmed.

See what I mean? There is no difference. They are interchangeable.

Democrat Bill DeWeese, who this morning was still hoping to become speaker, made the surprise motion to make O’Brien speaker. "We live in interesting times," said DeWeese.

Rep. Rick Geist, R-Blair, nominated Perzel to continue in the speaker's post. "He knows how to do this job. He knows how to manage this house," said Geist.

"The day is full of surprises, obviously," noted Rep. Katie True, R-Lancaster, who seconded the nomination of Perzel.

The Gavel reports that Democratic Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, who threw the leadership election into doubt when he announced he would support Perzel for speaker, has been spotted in the House chamber ... sitting with Republicans.

Rep. Jesse Stairs, R-Fayette, nominated Democrat Tom Tangretti of Greensburg to be speaker. Tangretti declined the nomiation.

Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Lower Paxton Twp., bemoaning the lack of midstate representation in the leadership, later nominated Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, who also declined the nomination.

***** UPDATE *****

From The Not A Dime's Bit Of Difference Between 'Em Department:

John "Captain Pay Hike" Perzel may have found a way to hold on to his precious power.

The good news? The Democrasses are really pissed off.

Harrisburg Patriot-News: Democrat offers vote to Perzel for House Speaker

House Democrats might lose much of their majority clout before having a chance to wield it when the General Assembly reconvenes today for its 2007-08 session.

With Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks, planning to support Rep. John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, as speaker of the house, Republicans have a chance to elect a speaker from the minority caucus for the first time in more than a century.

Coming days after the final certification of vote totals ensuring a 102-101 Democratic House majority, Caltagirone's move -- the result of a bitter relationship between he and Democratic speaker-nominee H. William DeWeese, D-Greene -- has left the vote in a state of flux.

Perzel, an old-guard legislative leader who recast himself as a reformer, made part of his pitch this winter to dissident Democrats like Caltagirone a power-sharing plan in which each party would get chairmanships of 11 of the House's standing committees. Committee rosters would include 12 members from each party, as opposed to the 14-10 majority/minority split now in place.

Other reforms proposed by the GOP leadership would require all bills to be in final form for at least one day before final votes on the floor and a 10 p.m. cutoff for floor sessions.

"The people said they wanted to see major change, and we're going to give them major change," Perzel said last night.

Ha!

Attempts to reach DeWeese and Gov. Edward G. Rendell yesterday were unsuccessful.

While Caltagirone's support gives him the upper hand, Perzel's re-election as speaker was not certain because of the prospect that reform-minded lawmakers from both parties might vote for a third candidate.

"We're certainly having discussions about a lot of options, and that is one of the options," said Rep. Dave Steil, R-Bucks, and a leader of the Jefferson Reform Initiative. "I'm making no commitment [to any candidate] at this time."

A third candidate nominated from the floor could pull enough votes to prevent Perzel or DeWeese from getting the majority needed to become speaker.

That might be a good idea.

Some members of the midstate's mostly Republican House delegation said they could take a wait-and-see approach, but it was also clear that none was considering a defection to DeWeese.
"If it's two candidates, I'm going to vote for John Perzel," said Rep. Jerry Nailor, R-Mechanicsburg. "If there's a third candidate, then I haven't committed myself. ... I'd have to see who that is and give them consideration."

Incoming Rep. Susan Helm, R-Susquehanna Twp., called Perzel "a proven leader" last week, adding, "Obviously, last year was not a good year for him. Some things happened that I truly believed he's learned from and ... he's trying to make improvements."

Ha!

Credibility with members is a large part of the problem facing DeWeese. One factor that moved Caltagirone to make his jump, sources say, was his belief DeWeese reneged on a promise to support him for a caucus leadership post in the fall.

"I don't always agree with leadership," said Rep. Christopher Sainato, D-Lawrence, "but we now have the opportunity to show the people of Pennsylvania that we can lead. You can't let petty differences that may have happened over the years step in the way."

Some Democrats see Caltagirone as the double-crosser.

State Democratic Party chair T.J. Rooney led a demonstration of about 50 people at Caltagirone's district office in Reading yesterday, where he called for Caltagirone to support DeWeese or resign and run for re-election as a Republican in a special election.

"Caltagirone's act only empowers an ... ineffective Republican Party that suffered enormous losses on Election Day by the will of the voters," Rooney said. "If he feels so strongly about providing Perzel and the Republicans this holiday gift, he should join their ranks and stop pretending that he's a Democrat."

You don't get it, Citizen Rooney...NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTE FOR, THE POLITICIANS GET IN!

The opening of the state Senate is expected to have no such intrigue. Republicans hold a solid 29-21 majority in that chamber.