Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum says he is considering seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2012, calling President Obama vulnerable to a challenge from the right and his policies “injurious to America.”

“The dynamic has changed,” Santorum said Tuesday on a RNC conference call with reporters to discuss Obama’s fundraiser for Sen. Arlen Specter (D.,Pa.). “A lot of folks who wouldn’t have thought about running against an incumbent president” are thinking about it. “If you’d asked the question a couple of months ago…”

Santorum cited Obama’s declining poll numbers and the furor over his plans to overhaul health care and the huge federal spending on the stimulus package and bank and auto-industry bailouts.  Most of all, Santorum said that Obama has “failed to deliver on what he promised, to be a transformative president” who would unify the country.

A lot of people are going to take a look and see what they can do to confront this presidency, which many of us –as you are seeing from the tea parties and the like – which many of us believe is injurious to America,” Santorum said. He said a 2012 race is “something that I think I would consider.”

Santorum was responding to Commonwealth Confidential’s question about his recent statement to a national group of Catholic leaders that he was thinking about running and asking for prayers. He was answering a question from a member of the audience at the group’s convention when he said he had thought about a presidential run. Santorum said Tuesday that he was trying to make the point that the political climate had turned more favorable to any conservative challenge to Obama.

“I went from not considering it at all to saying I would consider it – and that’s as far as I’m willing to go 3 ½ years out,” Santorum said.

While legislative leaders are hunkered down in Harrisburg trying to reach agreement on the state's long overdue budget, Rendell is making the fundraiser and talk show rounds in Philadelphia.

Today he appeared with President Obama at a pricey ($10k a plate) fundraiser for Sen Specter.

Tomorrow morning Rendell is scheduled to appear on a taped broadcast of  Dr. Phil McGraw's show at Independence National Historical Park. 

Two controversial subjects are on the agenda: the signing of Michael Vick and the Great South Philly Cheesesteak wars.

Joining Rendell are folks on both sides of the Vick issue: NAACP chief J. Whyatt Mondesire, Tom Hickey, Sr., founder of DogPac, an animal-rights group; Doris Lin, attorney and member of Animal Protection League; NOW 97.5's Joey Fortman; and Warren Eckstein of the syndicated radio program "The Pet Show."

Guest Tom Hickey, who also serves on Rendell's Dog Law Advisory Board, hopes to use the occasion to highlight the innocent victims of dog fighting - the pit bulls who if they are not killed in the ring, often end up in shelters as evidence in criminal cases and are euthanized when they are deemed too traumatized to be adopted.

Hickey said he wants to build  - with the Eagles help - a sanctuary for dogs seized in fighting cases, as well as those rescued from the state's puppy mills. He said such a facility would allow adoptable dogs to be cared for and rehabilitated and provide permanent sanctuary for those who can't.

Meanwhile on the cheesesteak front, The Daily News reports Joey Vento, of Geno's, and Frank Olivieri, Jr. are expected to taste each other's steaks on the show as part of Dr. Phil's mediation effort. McGraw did taste tests from each of the South Philly shops last weekend.

Rendell -  the state's force behind its new dog law governing commercial kennels, the Number 1 sports fan and cheesesteak lover-in-chief - will no doubt have plenty to say on both subjects.

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

Gov. Rendell today reiterated his pledge to veto what he called a fiscally “irresponsible” legislative budget plan expected to win the support of a conference committee later today.

Rendell, whose meeting with legislative leaders last night failed to produce a compromise, said the proposal violates the two basic principles for his signature: it cuts education funding and it does not contain enough recurring revenue to balance the budget in fiscal 2010.

“It will put us in dire straits next year,” he said at a news conference this afternoon. “The revenue estimates are wildly optimistic and, in some cases, made out of whole cloth.”

Three of the four caucuses in the General Assembly proposed a $27.9 billion budget on Friday that increases some limited taxes, such as an additional 25 cents a pack on cigarettes, and authorizes table games to end a two-and-a-half month budget stand off.

Members of the bipartisan conference committee from the House and Senate are expected to approve the plan and forward it to the General Assembly for a vote as early as the end of the week.

But Rendell called the plan “phony,” predicting economic growth where they won’t be any and off-the-mark revenue predictions needed to generate $1.2 billion to cover a budget shortfall. Supporters of the plan say they are confident their numbers add up.

But they may not have the votes in the House for an override. A spokesman for House Republicans – which opposes the plan - said caucus members are nearly unanimous in their opposition to the spending level of the “three-caucus” budget and its higher taxes.

Rendell also said he would “grudgingly” accept using economic stimulus funds to support education spending, the cuts go too deep in pre-kindergarten and education block grants that he attributes to improving test scores.

Rendell said the plan's revenue projections, including leasing more state land for natural gas drilling and instituting tax amnesty, are far short of his and others' estimates and said that it would lead to a $1 billion deficit next year.

Rendell called "ludicrous" the $100 million first-year estimate on increased limits on small games of chance and a tax on the games. He said with only 1,200 clubs offering small games of chance, he thinks the maximum it could generate is $4 million.

The plan also uses one-time revenue sources, such as draining the state's $750 million Rainy Day Fund to cover the deficit, that would not be available in future years.

Rendell also disputed the proposal's growth projection of .81 percent, saying his budget Secretary Mary Soderberg – the only state official by law able to make growth estimates - is projecting zero growth next year. He said the legislative proposal does not take into account the fiscal “tsunami” that will befall the state when economic stimulus funding runs out in two years.

 

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

Gov. Rendell today ripped a legislative budget proposal for being woefully short on revenue predictions and short-changing students and business development.

"It doesn't add up," said Rendell, who promised a swift veto if the bill presented Friday hits his desk. "It would be a disastrous budget for the citizens of the Commonwealth because of the damage to education and economic development."

But Rendell - at a press conference in the Capitol today, said he wants to give negotiations one last try and scheduled a meeting with legislative leaders at the Governor's Residence tomorrow night.

"I do believe we can work this out," he said. "We're very close on a spend number."

Senate leaders along with House Democrats unveiled a $27.9 billion budget proposal on Friday, that increases some limited taxes, such as an additional 25 cents a pack on cigarettes, and authorizes table games to cover a $3.2 billion deficit. The members of the bicameral conference committee are scheduled to vote on the plan Monday.

Rendell criticized the proposal for playing a shell game with education funds, adding the $300 million he sought but cutting $147 million from programs elsewhere in the education budget, such as accountability block grants that pay for pre-k and tutoring and allow smaller class sizes.

He said the additional $74 million in cuts made in the Department of Community and Economic Development budget would jeopardize the state's chances for keeping Harley Davidson plant, which employs 2,600 people, in York. The company has threatened to relocate its motorcycle plant to another state and Rendell is trying to put together a package of incentives to keep it in Pennsylvania.

He went on to criticize virtually all the revenue projections, including leasing more state land for natural gas drilling and instituting tax amnesty, for being far short of his and others' estimates and said it would lead to a $1 billion deficit next year.

Rendell called "ludicrous" the $100 million first-year estimate on increased limits on small games of chance and a tax on the games. He said his figure is closer to $4 million.

The only revenue source estimate he viewed as accurate was the $200 million expected to come from the authorizing of table games because the casino license fees would come in the form of up-front payments.

Rendell also disputed the proposal's growth projection of .81 percent, saying his budget office is projecting zero growth next year.

"We had to make tax increases that were painful and debilitating service cuts," said Rendell. "If you think that's bad, wait till next year."

A spokesman for Senate Republicans contends the revenue projections in the plan are on target and accused Rendell of holding out for additional taxes.

"We are confident in the accuracy of the revenue projections made by the three caucuses involved in this bipartisan agreement," said spokesman Erik Arneson. "No one has more reason to be concerned about the accuracy of those numbers than the legislature – all of the House and half of the Senate are up for election next year. The governor is alone in thinking that more taxes are needed to support this spending plan."

Rendell said if the legislature overrides his veto it would be fiscally irresponsible and politically dangerous. He said he believes the result will be a tax increase in an election year.

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

Delaware County State Rep. Bryan Lentz announced today that he has landed strategist and media guru Neil Oxman and a pair of respected consultants, ramping up his campaign for the U.S. House from the 7th District.

"As we move forward, it is important that we build an experienced team so that I can go to Washington and continue the fight for renewable energy, creating green jobs and improving veterans' benefits," Lentz said in a statement.

Oxman, founder of The Campaign Group, was chief media adviser for Gov. Rendell and Mayor Nutter, as well as dozens of Democratic candidates around the nation. Oxman also handled advertising for U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D.,Pa.), whom Lentz hopes to succeed in the suburban district.

Andrew Kennedy, a noted direct-mail specialist who has worked in 27 states, also joined the Lentz campaign asn did pollster Jeff Pollock, president of the Global Strategy Group. Pollock handled Lentz's polling in two successful state House campaigns and has many prominent clients nationally, including the governors of West Virginia and Iowa.

On Monday, Republican heavyweight Pat Meehan, the former U.S. attorney, is announcing his candidacy for the seat, which is open because Sestak has decided to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D.,Pa.) in next year's primary.

House and Senate leaders this afternoon continued to discuss alternative versions of Philadelphia’s budget-relief package, but it remains unclear whether the two chambers will reach a compromise today.

Meantime, Gov. Rendell said that he is hopeful that the two sides can come to terms.

Speaking with reporters after an unrelated news conference this afternoon, Rendell said, “It’s my hope that the two interests – the unions’ interests in preserving rights under collective bargaining and the necessity to guarantee that there are structural changes that will truly make the pension systems sounder – that those two things can be reconciled.”

The House originally passed the relief package Aug. 5. At just 14 pages, it allowed the city to defer pension payments and impose a 1 percentage point increase in the sales tax to help cover budget shortfalls.

Three weeks after the House action, the senate amended the bill to include far-reaching provisions dealing with municipal pensions across the state. Among other things, the bill would allow the state to take over weaker-performing pension plans and freeze benefits for some plan members.

Those changes, which balloon the bill to 97 pages, have drawn the intense backlash of organized labor statewide, most notably from police and fire fighter unions. They argue that it would wrongly restrict their rights at collective bargaining during contract talks.

The House is preparing an amendment that would strip out many of the changes sought by the GOP-controlled senate. If the senate doesn’t pre-approve of the changes in a compromise, the package could be delayed even further.

“If the senate doesn’t agree to it in advance then it’s going to be a disaster for the city of Philadelphia,” Rendell said.

The House has called a Rules Committee meeting for 5 this afternoon in which further details may emerge.

Mayor Nutter, who is in Harrisburg today lobbying for the measure, has said that without the relief package he would have to cut deeply into government services and lay off thousands of Philadelphia workers.

At the news conference, Rendell, a former Philadelphia mayor, was asked about signs placed recently in recreation centers and libraries in the city informing patrons that come Oct. 2 the sites might be shut down.

“The mayor has no choice. If this fails, the mayor has to go to Plan C,” Rendell said. “…I don’t think the mayor is kidding. In fact, I know he is not kidding.”
 

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

The fate of Philadelphia’s budget-relief plan remains in flux at the state Capitol this morning.
 

Here is the latest as of 11 a.m.:

House leaders are crafting an amendment that would strip out most of the controversial language inserted by the senate that would have allowed the state to take over less-financially-sound pension funds.

Staffers are still tinkering with the final amendment and it might change before it is introduced later today.

It remained unknown when the House would vote on the matter.

Technically, the House has to wait 24 hours before considering an amendment after it is filed. But the chamber could suspend that rule with a two-thirds vote of the full House and consider the rewritten bill today.

Sen. Pat Browne (R., Lehigh), who has been kept abreast of the situation by House leaders, confirmed that the current amendment would axe most of what the upper chamber did last month.

He said the amendment would “remove the foundation of what we were trying to do” – stabilize weaker municipal pensions across the state.

And he predicted that if it passes the House, the measure “would not garner the necessary votes” in the GOP-controlled senate.

As originally drafted, the legislation would have allowed the city to raise the sales tax by 1 percentage point and defer pension payments to help cover city expenses.

Those provisions would remain in the amended House version.

Without the relief package, Mayor Nutter – who is scheduled to be in Harrisburg today lobbying for the measure -- has said he would have to lay off thousands of Philadelphia workers.
 

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

Aides to top legislative leaders said today that although discussions are ongoing there has not been an agreement on a compromise pension-relief package for the city of Philadelphia.

The state House is expected to vote on the legislation tomorrow but it remains unclear whether a handshake agreement will be reached with Senate leaders by then.

As originally drafted and approved by the House, the legislation allows the city to raise the sales tax by 1 percentage point and defer pension payments to help cover city expenses. The Senate amended it with language allowing the state to, among other things, take over weaker-performing municipal pension funds and freeze some benefits, prompting the ire of unions across the state.

Without the relief package, Mayor Nutter has said he would have to lay off thousands of Philadelphia workers.
 

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

The heroes of United Flight 93 will be remembered this year not only in Shanksville, at the site where the plane crashed eight years ago, but also at the U.S. Capitol and in Harrisburg.

Ceremonies begin today in D.C. where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) and families of victims will be on hand to dedicate a plaque in the Capitol in honor of the 40 passengers and crew who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.

It is generally believed the Capitol was the target of the hijackers that day before they were overwhelmed by the passengers and crew who forced the plane down over Somerset County.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Shuster authored bipartisan legislation that called for a location in the Capitol to be named in the memory of the crew and passengers of Flight 93, and a commemorative plaque to be placed there. That event takes place at 3 p.m. at the East Front lobby of the Capitol.

On Thursday in Harrisburg, state Sen. Jane Orie (R., Allegheny) will join General Tommy Franks, former Gov. Mark Schweiker and others involved in the Hearts of Steel Campaign to present donations raised for the construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville.

Orie said she and others, who wanted to find a way to keep alive the memories of those who perished aboard the plane, joined together to produce metal bracelets like those commemorating POWS in the 1970s. They hoped to raise $10,000 and have since raised $1.1 million. The event, in the state Capitol, begins at 11 a.m.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will be the keynote speaker on Friday at the eighth anniversary ceremonies of the 9/11 attacks in Shanksville. Joining Powell will be former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge (who has attended most, if not all, Flight 93 anniversary events) and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

The theme this year is "Upon This Sacred Ground, Courage Remembered." Country music singer Trace Adkins will sing the Star Spangled Banner. The ceremony begins at 9:45 a.m.

A $58 million, 2,200-acre memorial that commemorates the victims and the events of 9/11 is scheduled to open on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.