The First Read — August 20, 2009

Every Monday-Thursday morning, pa2010.com compiles the most important political news of the day, from newspapers to the blogosphere and back. Enjoy this edition.

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Gerlach fires first Bonusgate salvo at Corbett
And with that, Bonusgate is officially a campaign issue. Congressman Jim Gerlach’s (R-6) campaign on Wednesday attacked state Attorrney General Tom Corbett over his corruption investigation and simultaneous, but undeclared, gubernatorial bid, saying that “Pennsylvanians deserve to know whether [Corbett] is more interested in pursuing justice or advancing his political career.” Read More
Also on pa2010.com: Corbett camp: Gerlach is ‘muslinging… we all expected better’

Specter should take a cue from Barney Frank
The next time Senator Arlen Specter finds himself in the midst of a screaming mob at yet another testy, health care reform town hall meeting, maybe he should try some of the tactics employed Wednesday by outspoken Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Read More

Senate falls shy of overturning Rendell’s budget vetoes
HARRISBURG — Senate Republicans Wednesday fell three votes short of the support needed to override Gov. Ed Rendell’s veto of money for college grants and mental retardation programs. Read More

Bill Cosby: ‘No more cuts’ for Pa. schools
Comedian Bill Cosby says public schools make the difference for many children between success and failure in life. Cosby joined Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell at a news conference that celebrated steady improvements in Pennsylvania’s standardized test scores in math and reading. Rendell and Cosby also criticized Senate Republicans’ plan to provide less money for public schools than the Democratic governor has proposed. Read More

Editorial helped prompt Gerlach’s attach
When Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) called on state Attorney General Tom Corbett to resign office or drop his gubernatorial aspirations, he wasn’t the first one to make that suggestion. Gerlach’s opening-attack echoed an editorial published the day before in The Leader-Vindicator, as well as increasing press attention to criticism of Corbett’s “Bonusgate” probe. Read More

Sestak, Schwartz try to shift blame on health care
Republicans have been quite consistent in their position, which is that the way to control health care costs is to control health care costs, rather than creating a huge new bureaucracy first and worrying about how to pay for it later. Read More
Also on pa2010.com: Videos for a slow news day…

Sestak defends public health insurance option
Some days, it’s Joe Sestak versus Arlen Specter. Others, it is Specter versus Pat Toomey. Yesterday, it was Toomey versus Sestak. Read More

John Baer: Ed, for the love of reason, give us a budget
Gov. Ed’s the last man standing. Guvs of the only other states with no budget – Arizona and Connecticut – are women, and Republicans: Gov. Jan Brewer and Gov. Jodi Rell, respectively. And the governor of the last state to sign a budget, North Carolina, Aug. 7, also is a woman: Democrat Bev Perdue. Read More

Emporium greets Senator Specter
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter’s brief visit in Emporium Tuesday evening starkly contrasted with a recent round of heated town hall meetings. Read More

FBI interview of Senator Mellow’s ex-wife reported
FBI agents have interviewed the ex-wife of State Sen. Robert J. Mellow about the expenditure of $213,000 in public funds to rent a building partly owned by his wife and later himself, according to sources familiar with the matter. Read More

Have a great day!