MEET THE NEW YEAR - IT'S JUST LIKE THE OLD YEAR

A Captain Renault post: One thing about the world of politics has always been true: the more things change -- the more things stay the same. 2008 was a fascinating, historic, and interesting political year in PA. Like every other year, 2009 will bring some change to the scene of politics and government in PA and it will also bring plenty of the same old "stuff".

Here are some of my observations and predictions:

Old Year: Tom Corbett's uses the power of the AG's office and the justice system to indict Democrats in the Bonusgate investigation before the election. "Runs out of time" to charge and Republicans before the election while explaining that he doesn't want to "influence the election" by charging anyone else too close to the election. Press and public buy this nonsense. Corbett's partisan investigation costs Democrats one state Senate seat and several House seats. Corbett let's Republican insiders know he will run for Governor in 2010.
New Year: Corbett continues to use the Bonusgate investigation to feather his own political nest. He "can't find" any evidence against Republicans and he continues to use double standards and to demonstrate great hypocrisy while continuing to investigate Democrats at all levels of government. Corbett announces his run for Governor.

Old Year: Sen. Arlen Specter is a key vote in the Senate on almost every important issue and one of the very few (mostly) moderate Republican Senators left in the U.S. Senate.
New Year: Specter is an even more important vote on every key issue in the Senate -- especially the upcoming vote on organized labor's number one legislative priority to make it easier to organize unions in the workplace.

Old Year: Sen. Bob Casey outmaneuvers Ed Rendell, endorses Obama for President, and gains national attention for his unusual and uncharacteristic bold political move and his well received speech at the convention. Ed Rendell works hard for Sen. Clinton in the PA primary, helps her win, and gets national attention for the crazy things he says during the campaign. Obama's win in November makes Casey the top dog Dem in PA politics. Rendell is a lame duck.
New Year: Casey has Obama's attention and his ear and is the go-to-guy for everything in PA from the projects in the economic stimulus bill to the political appointments available in the new administration. Rendell works hard, has some legislative victories, says crazy things that get him national attention, and is a lamer duck.

More Old Year/New Year items on their way soon.