Hours after kicking Mitchell Rubin from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Gov. Rendell announced a replacement.
Rendell has nominated lawyer A. Michael Pratt to serve out the remaining year of Rubin’s current term. Pratt is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Pepper Hamilton LLP, concentrating in commercial, product liability and mass tort litigation.
Chuck Ardo, the governor’s spokesman, called Pratt a “classic success story.”
“He is the fourth of 12 children who grew up in rural Fayette County in a house without running water,” Ardo said. “And yet he found a way to graduate from Harvard Law School.”
Pratt’s nomination requires Senate confirmation.
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why is a lawyer heading the turnpike commission rather than someone with a transportation background?— dreinterests- Let me put it this way: The last guy Rendell put on the job was dirty, and he knew it. Now he needs to mend that rip in his political robe, so he chooses the cleanest candidate this side of the Pope. Pratt may not be a transportation type, but watch him breeze through the confirmation process. (Hint - anyone voting "nay" will be labeled a racist.)— DonQ
- because he's smart.— Sam Pileggi
Comment removed.- Rendell has simply picked another political hack. Pratt is not a practicing lawyer. He is a practicing schmoozer, who schmoozed his way to head the Philadelphia Bar Association. He has no clients, no respect from his partners, and, in the end, is just another political hack. Rendell plays the same appointment games as everyone else; he gets his way because he is, despite that, an effective governor and was, before that, an effective mayor. The PTC is a trough for political appointments. Always has been, always will be. Pratt is just part of the revolving door. He'll use it to brag about how connected he is, but he won't have a single constructive idea about running a turnpike.— George Jacobs
- George Jacobs, do I feel a since of jealousy, perhaps? How do you project that he won't have a constructive idea about running a turnpick? Do share with us your ideas? He is an intelligent man, do you beg to differ? Schmoozer? Look it up in Webster and I bet we will see you face George!— chocvanilla
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