Former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan of Southeast Pennsylvania today announced a line-up of advisers for his expected campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010. It's an all-star lineup with years of PA experience, and it comes a few days after his team let it be known he's raised $700,000 in last couple months of "exploration."

Here are the advisers:

Chris Mottola : Media Consultant

A nationally recognized political media consultant, Chris Mottola has designed media campaigns for Republicans across the country and political spectrum.  The New York Times praised his “national reputation for winning” and some of his recent clients include Senator John McCain (R-AZ), former President George W. Bush, Governor George Pataki (R-NY), Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and the Republican Governors Association.

Mike Hudome : Media Consultant

Mike Hudome is President of MH Media, a respected force in Republican politics producing television and radio advertising for candidates for political office, leading trade associations and state GOP party committees.  Mr. Hudome was a founding member of Foxhole Productions, the creative and production team for Senator John McCain’s campaign for President, and he led the effort for the McCain comeback in New Hampshire.  Hudome’s advertising in the 2008 Presidential campaign was called “authentic” by Ad Week, “powerful” by the New York Times, and “effective” by NBC News.  Further, Mike Hudome has held senior positions at the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and he served as Executive Director of the Delaware Republican Party.

Craig Snyder : General Consultant

Craig Snyder is Managing Partner of Ikon Public Affairs.  Snyder has 25 years experience, and his career has spanned nearly every facet of public affairs including running for Congress in 1992, serving as a Public Policy Specialist with the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, serving as former Chief of Staff to Senator Arlen Specter and assisting numerous campaigns with advertising.

Vince Galko : Senior Advisor

Vince Galko has worked in Pennsylvania Republican politics for over a decade.  Vince has served as Executive Director of the PA Republican State Committee, and most recently, he served as Campaign Manager for Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta in his run for Congress.  He was appointed Regional Administrator for the Department of Education by President George W. Bush.  He also served on the staffs of Senators Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.  In 2004, Vince was Deputy Executive Director for Bush-Cheney ‘04 in Pennsylvania, and in 2006, Campaigns & Elections Magazine named Vince as one of their 10 Rising Stars in American politics.  He is a Senior Associate at IKON Public Affairs.

Tony Fabrizio : Pollster

Tony Fabrizio served as chief Pollster to Bob Dole’s ’96 Presidential campaign and over the past 20 years has worked for scores of Senators, Congressmen and Governors.  In particular, Fabrizio’s experience in electing and re-electing Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who is widely considered a 2012 Republican presidential candidate in the face of a huge Democratic tide in a Democrat leaning state, will be invaluable in Pennsylvania in 2010.

Mindy Finn : New Media

Mindy Finn served as the Director of eStrategy for the Mitt Romney for President campaign where she directed the effort to maximize technology and the web to best communicate the candidate’s message, raise money and mobilize a strong base of support.   In 2007, Finn was selected by Campaigns & Elections as a Rising Star in American politics and chosen as a fellow for the Institute of Politics, Democracy and Internet at George Washington University.  Finn also served as Director of New Media & Technology for U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, she helped jumpstart the first eCampaign department at the Republican National Committee in 2005, and she served as Deputy Webmaster for Bush-Cheney ’04.

Virginia Davis : Communications

Virginia Davis has worked for several Republican U.S. Senators since 2000.  She was press secretary to both former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum’s reelection campaign in 2006 and U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) from 2003 - 2005.  She was deputy press secretary during U.S. Senator John Thune’s (R-SD) first run for the Senate, and she served as a communications consultant to the West Virginia Republican Presidential Convention in 2008.

“I am pleased to announce that these experienced individuals are coming on board to assist in our effort.  They have been at the helm of many campaigns, and I am fortunate to have them as part of my team,” said Pat Meehan. 

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Acting Labor and Industry Secretary Sandi Vito is back on the job after a week-long stint in rehab stemming from a recent public drunkenness incident, Rendell announced today.

Vito was picked up by Harrisburg police at the Harrisburg Hilton just over two weeks ago for public drunkenness. The Patriot News of Harrisburg has reported that she was too intoxicated after a night out to sign a citation (which carries a $200 fine) by a city police officer. She also shouted obscenities at the officer, according to the newspaper.

Vito, 43, entered a rehab facility shortly afterwards, saying she was both sorry and embarrassed. She is returning to her $136,120-a-year post today.

"Sandi’s personal difficulties are no reflection on her work performance. In the past 14 months she has led the Department of Labor & Industry brilliantly," Rendell wrote in a statement released earlier today. "Since 2003 she has been an invaluable leader in reforming Pennsylvania’s workforce development system to align it with the needs of business and industry."

"Her contributions have been recognized nationally," the governor added. "We welcome her back with the full faith and support of the administration."

Vito has been the department's acting secretary since February 2008. She is awaiting a Senate vote on her nomination by Rendell to serve in the position on a permanent basis.

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Dominic Pileggi appears to be a man of his word.

When former Rep. Mike Veon was charged Wednesday with using a nonprofit he created for political gain, Attorney General Tom Corbett admonished the General Assembly to look inward to prevent such a thing from happening again.
Hours after the Veon news broke, Pileggi, the senate majority leader, said in an interview that he wasn’t sure what could be done along those lines.

But when asked by an Inquirer reporter why the Senate doesn’t follow the lead of the House on the matter, the Delaware County Republican’s curiosity was piqued.

The House three years ago, in part because of lingering questions about Veon and his charity, set a new rule that barred representatives from creating or playing a major role in a nonprofit that receives state funding.

Pileggi said he was unaware of that little-known rule, but added that it sounded interesting, that he would research it and perhaps propose something akin to it in the upper chamber.

This morning he announced that he and another senator, Elder Vogel (R., Beaver) , are doing just that.

By next month, Pileggi said he will offer a change to the senate rules to prevent members and employees from “incorporating or directing the operation of a nonprofit organization or other entity whose primary purpose is to receive funds from the Commonwealth.”

“We must do everything we can to prevent the kind of wrongdoing alleged by the grand jury,” said Pileggi. “In light of Wednesday’s announcement by the Attorney General, it is clear that a Senate rule should be in place.”
 

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I inadvertently left out a statistical caveat to the Franklin & Marshall College Poll in today's story about Sen. Arlen Specter's political challenges. F & M interviewed a subsample of 211 Republicans on some questions, notablyi those about next year's GOP primary for Senate. Results for the subsample are subject to a margin of error of plus or minus 6.7 percentage points.

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Eighty-five percent of Pennsylvanians believe the state should outlaw the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

Even more – 89 percent – believe texting should be banned as well.

Those are the latest findings of a Quinnipiac University polls released this morning.

The results are timely given that state and city officials are in the midst of considering such bans.

“It’s hard to understand why the state legislature hasn’t banned hand-held cell phone use by Pennsylvania drivers when nearly every voter in the state favors the ban,” said Clay F. Richards, the Connecticut university’s assistant director of polling

How overwhelming are the numbers. Well, Richards says you would be hard pressed to find this big a margin on any topic.

Only half-jokingly, he said he doubts 85 percent of the public would agree that the sun will rise tomorrow.
 

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Eight months after being swept up in the Bonusgate scandal, former top State House Democrat Mike Veon is now facing a new set of corruption charges -- this time stemming from a western Pennsylvania non-profit he controlled.

State Attorney General Tom Corbett announced today that he had charged Veon, 51, the former House Majority Whip, with more than two dozen counts of theft and other charges for using millions in state grant dollars for political purposes.

Also charged today was Veon’s former top aide, Annamarie Peretta-Rosepink, 46. She had worked as a legislative aide and the top financial officer at the nonprofit, the Beaver Initiative for Growth, which Veon founded in 1991.

At a 1 p.m. news conference today in Pittsburgh, Corbett said that BIG was created primarily for the personal and political benefit of Veon.

Of the $4.7 million spent by BIG from 2004 to 2006, only 23 percent -- less than $1.1 million – went to actual program expenses. The other 77 percent went for salary, consultants and administrative costs, the grand jury found.

BIG operated an office in Midland, Beaver County and an office on the South Side in Pittsburgh -- offices that were never staffed by a BIG employee and were allegedly used as satellite legislative offices for campaign purposes.

About $84,000 in BIG funds was misappropriated for the rents, the grand jury found.

Attempts to reach Veon’s attorney were not immediately successful.

Veon and Peretta-Rosepink are expected to turn themselves in to a state judge tomorrow.

As laid out today, the case against Veon shares unmistakable similarities with one against State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.

Fumo earlier this month was convicted of 137 federal fraud, theft and obstruction of justice counts, including dozens that dealt with allegations that he defrauded his nonprofit, Citizens’ Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, out of $1.5 million.

In July, Veon became the biggest name among a dozen House Democratic insiders to be ensnared by a separate grand jury examining what has become known as ‘Bonusgate.”

Veon, Corbett has alleged, orchestrated and carried out a scheme to give large government bonuses -- $1.7 million over two years -- to legislative staffers as rewards for working hard on political campaigns.

Veon, who served 22 years in the House and had a reputation as a shrewd political strategist, is charged with 59 counts in is awaiting trial in that case.

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The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter trailing former conservative Congressman Pat Toomey - a potential candidate in the Republican primary for the 2010 Senate race.

The poll, released today, shows Specter behind Toomey 41 to 27 percent, with 28 percent undecided.

"Specter is definitely in trouble in the Republican primary at this point," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But he could be saved if more candidates pile in and divide the anti-Specter vote. If he gets past the primaries, he's in good shape."

Richards said Pennsylvania Republicans are unhappy with Specter becoming one of only three Republicans to vote for President Obama's stimulus package. And Toomey is capitalizing on that anger.

Toomey has said he is considering another run against Specter, whom he unsuccessfully challenged in the 2004 Republican primary.

Asked whether Specter would fare better if he ran as an independent - or even a Democrat - Richards said: "That's his choice. He would be a very strong independent candidate if he chose to take that route, and it would avoid a confrontation with conservatives who give him very low marks on everything, especially his vote for the stimulus package."

The poll found that voters approve 52 to 33 percent of the job Specter is doing, with a 71-16 percent positive score from Democrats and a 41-37 percent boost from independent voters. Those high approval ratings help offset a 52-36 percent disapproval from Republicans.

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Attorney General Tom Corbett has scheduled a news conference for 1 this afternoon in Pittsburgh to announce that his office has filed new criminal charges against former House Democratic Minority Whip Mike Veon and one of his staffers, Anna Marie Peretta-Rosepink.

The charges deal with the Beaver Initiative for Growth, a nonprofit that Veon created and helped fund with state grants. Other details were not immediately provided by Corbett’s office.

Veon (D., Beaver) and Rosepink were among a dozen House Democratic insiders charged last year in the initial phase of Bonusgate, Corbett’s corruption probe into whether large government bonuses were given as rewards to legislative staffers who performed campaign work.
 

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Sen. Arlen Specter (left) said today he will vote against the Employee Free Choice Act. (Susan Walsh/AP file photo)

Ending a political drama that threatened his reelection, Sen. Arlen Specter (R.,Pa.) said moments ago that he would oppose a bill that would make it easier for workers to form unions, legislation on which he was positioned to be the crucial swing vote.

On the Senate floor, Specter said that he was concerned the bill would elminate the secret ballot vote on whether to unionize. The proposed legislation, named the Employee Free Choice Act but called "card check" by detractors, would allow a union to be recognized if a majority of workers in a shop signed cards acknowledging their support.

He said that the "secret ballot is the cornerstone of how contests are decided in a democracy." Specter also said he was concerned about a compulsory arbitration provision in the bill that would force empoyers and employees into binding arbitration if no contract was reached within 120 days of the recognition of a union.

"The problem of the recession makes this a particularly bad time to enact" the bill, Specter said, fearing that it could cause "further job losses." He said it would be better to amend the 80-year-old labor relations law to remove unfair burdens on union organizing without messing with the secret ballot.

Specter was the only Republican to vote to cut off debate in 2007 when the legislation, which passed the House, failed in the Senate. There were not enough votes to break a GOP filibuster. Republicans are threatening a filibuster again and labor had hoped Specter would again vote to cut off debate and bring the bill up for a vote. With a larger Democratic majority, his support could have been enough to clear the procedural hurdle.

His decision makes passage of the bill, the top priority of organized labor and a ca mpaign promise of President Obama's, less likely this year.

Specter was pressured from both sides - labor unions even pledged to re-register Pennsylvania members as Republicans to help him in the 2010 primary if he were to support the bill.

"This announcement should end the rumor mill that I have traded my vote for some ‘deal’ to my political advantage," Specter said.

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