The boys of Brazil

Yesterday, Rhode Island. Tomorrow, the world.

You might think the Gov. Corbett would be steering clear of industrialist and mega-campaign donor John Moran Jr., given the controversy over Moran's paying $1,422 for a 2011 Ocean State yachting vacation for the Corbetts at the same time that the state Department of Environmental Protection was looking into a fracking waste recycling site run by Moran's company. The July 4 weekend jaunt was arguably the most noteworthy of more than $11,000 in gifts that Corbett accepted from lobbyists and executives with state business in 2010 and 2011, as reported by the Daily News.

But apparently Corbett is loyal to his friends -- at least to friends like Moran who've given more than $100,000 to his campaign. And so on Saturday, according to Harrisburg's PennLive website, Moran will be one of a couple dozen business leaders and other Pennsylvanians traveling with Corbett on a 10-day junket to Brazil and Chile to improve economic ties with South America.

Interestingly, Moran wasn't listed on the original travel list from the governor's office, but he confirmed to PennLive that he's going in his capacity as the Corbett-appointed co-chairman of the Team PA Foundation, which helped organize the privately funded trip. He also said in the article that "[o]ne of his goals on the upcoming trip is obtain information that could help his business with an undisclosed project that is in its infancy."

Presumably having the governor of America's sixth largest state as his wingman won't hurt.