DeWeese to surrender post as House leader

HARRISBURG - House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese may have just survived a grueling reelection battle, but his time as the top Democrat in the chamber apparently will soon come to an end.

Last night, the Greene County Democrat and 33-year legislative veteran said that he would not seek another term as majority leader but instead would vie for Democratic whip, the third-ranking position.

DeWeese said that he believed he could get enough votes to remain majority leader, but feared that doing so might hurt party unity.

"I thought a brutalizing effort . . . could potentially reach the meager threshold, but again, to what end?" he told the Associated Press in an interview.

Both parties in the House have set closed-door and secret leadership elections for Tuesday.

DeWeese is throwing his support for majority leader behind Rep. Todd Eachus of Luzerne County. Eachus chaired the House Democratic Campaign Committee in its effort this year to widen the party's majority in the House, which succeeded. Democrats two weeks ago netted two additional seats, and now hold a 104-99 edge.

Rep. Kathy Manderino of Philadelphia and three Allegheny County representatives, David Levdansky, Joseph Markosek and Frank Dermody, are also expected to vie for majority leader.

DeWeese could face challengers for the whip post, including Reps. Bill Keller of Philadelphia and Peter Daley of Washington County.

On Election Day, DeWeese defeated Republican Greg Hopkins, a former Arena Football League standout, by 2,000 votes in a rural district in the far southwest corner of the state.

The victory came as a surprise to many in the Capitol who had all but written off DeWeese because of the Bonusgate probe.

In July, Attorney General Tom Corbett charged a dozen current and former Democratic insiders - but not DeWeese - with carrying out a scheme to give large government bonuses to legislative staffers who worked hard on campaigns. DeWeese has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the bonuses, but many believed he was tainted by the scandal because it unfolded under his watch as majority leader.

The 58-year-old former Marine is perhaps best known for his deep and diverse historical knowledge and his expansive vocabulary, which he often flashes during floor debates. He has served as the ranking Democrat in the House since January 1993 when he became speaker for a two-year term.