Our do-nothing legislators knew the possibility existed of a situation developing in which the governor would be a Democrat and the lt.governor would be a Republican. Even if Rendell and Scarnati often oppose each other on issues, our spineless legislators did nothing to begin the process of changing the Constitution to avoid such situations. The governor should choose his running mate like the presidential nominee chooses his running mate. That way we can have more faith that the governor and lt.governor will work as a team.

If Scarnati becomes lt. governor and still retains his position in the Senate, doesn’t that give him two votes on a bill? First, he votes as a senator. Then, he breaks a tie as lt. governor. Does the PA Constitution allow that? Also, can someone belong to both the executive and legislative branches at once?

The succession of Senator Scarnati to being Lieutenant Governor does not seem especially dangerous to me; the Lieutenant Governor is a constitutionally weak office: The only powers, unless I am wrong, constitutionally granted to the Lieutenant Governor are a limited casting vote and serving on the Board of Pardons. I cannot see any urgency or need for great worry about an officer who seems constitutionally impotent.

I would not raise any great complaint against an alteration to prevent a recurrence of the present case. Indeed, I might even muster some enthusiasm for an abolition of the office, but not very much enthusiasm.

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Article IV, § 4: A Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen jointly with the Governor by the casting by each voter of a single vote applicable to both offices, for the same term, and subject to the same provisions as the Governor; he shall be President of the Senate. As such, he may vote in case of a tie on any question except the final passage of a bill or joint resolution, the adoption of a conference report or the concurrence in amendments made by the House of Representatives.

Article IV, §9, clause (b): The Board of Pardons shall consist of the Lieutenant Governor who shall be chairman, the Attorney General and three members appointed by the Governor with the consent of two-thirds or a majority of the members elected to the Senate as is specified by law for terms of six years. The three members appointed by the Governor shall be residents of Pennsylvania and shall be recognized leaders in their fields; one shall be a member of the bar, one a penologist, and the third a doctor of medicine, psychiatrist or psychologist. The board shall keep records of its actions, which shall at all times be open for public inspection.

Actually, Scarnati’s senate district is rooted in Warren County (where rabbits outnumber people) and extends through (mostly rural and conservative) parts of seven other northwest PA counties.
It is a territory in which one can find households where the most dignified (if not the most intelligent) member of a family is the dog on the front porch.
Matt Thomas

Here’s a “dignified” question for you: Have you ever nearly drowned in a rainstorm?

Do yourself a favor: lower your nose a little bit and realize this state (like many others) is ethnically, socially and culturally diverse. The “great unwashed” (as you like to like of them) in Warren County and the “highbrow” set along the Main Line, for example, are Pennsylvanians and Americans, one in the same. If you take issue with Scarnati’s ideology and record in the Senate, fine. That’s what you should comment on. Please don’t run down an entire county in an attempt to make yourself sound intellectually superior. It just doesn’t work.

Matt, I thoroughly enjoyed your attempt at backpedaling, but your “description” of the Warren County “inhabitants” read like something out of National Geographic:

“It is a territory in which one can find households where the most dignified (if not the most intelligent) member of a family is the dog on the front porch.”

One has to wonder exactly how the retired, blue-collar folks in Warren would feel after reading your comments.

After reading tripe like that, I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t “feel well”.

Once again, you appear to be disoriented on the subject.
Who said anything about blue collar workers?
Warren County’s blue collar folks (like everywhere else) work hard for a living and provide a decent home for their families and education for their children.
But then, as a conservative Republican (many of whom frequently confuse themselves with royalty) you may know too few people who actually do work for a living.
It may be helpful for you and your conservative friends to spend more time around hard-working people…who are (overwhelmingly) Democrats…and less time further confusing yourselves by serving as lemming-like ditto-heads for Rush Limbaugh.
Matt Thomas

Matt –

Once you’ve dug yourself a deep hole, it’s typically in your best interests to stop digging. First of all, you no nothing about me, so please save the patheticly transparent MoveOn.org-like “Republican royalty” line. It was YOU who compared the intelligence of Warren County residents to dogs, so your attempt at positioning yourself as some type of working-class hero and defender of all things Warren leaves me scratching my head. I’m going to get off of this insane carnival ride now, but it was you who leveled a disgusting blanket insult at a particular group of people who you apparently dislike, but I’m not sure which is worse – the initial joke or your even less funny cover-up.

Agreed….it is time to end this.
I admit total defeat. One can never overcome goose-step ideologues endowed with an invincible ignorance.
It is like pissing into the wind and one can only get his legs wet.
I wish you well.
Matt Thomas

Amazing, I thougt this crap only happened over at Lehigh Valley Hatebag O’Hare, Red Minded State and Daily Krap of Kos. Equal Opportunity Snarkiness. As the family Dog, I say, WOOF!