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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Sen. Stack seeks leadership post
Sen. Michael Stack, left, with Gov. Rendell at a bill signing ceremony in 2008.

State Sen. Michael Stack (D., Phila.) is angling for the party leadership post in Harrisburg being vacated by Sen. Robert Mellow of Luzerne County, who's retiring amid an FBI probe.

"It's playing out a little bit in secret," Stack told The Inquirer's Editorial Board in an interview on Thursday. So he decided to put it out in the open.

Philadelphia hasn't had as much clout in the state Senate since the retirement in 2008 of Vincent J. Fumo, who was convicted in a federal corruption probe (anybody sensing a theme here?).

Stack's main rival for Senate Democratic leader is Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.  The internal party balloting is expected to take place after the November election.

Stack said he wants to do away with Mellow's habit of "keeping the membership out of the loop."

FBI and IRS agents raided Mellow's home and office last month. The Inquirer first reported that taxpayers paid more than $210,000 to rent Mellow's district office from a company owned at various times by Mellow's wife and by himself.

  
Posted by Dave Boyer @ 1:25 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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