HAS MEEHAN DERAILED "SHOCKING" REPUBLICAN INDICTMENT EXPRESS?

Here at CasablancaPA, we figured this week's passage of a "bridge budget" would suffice as the green light for partisan Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett to announce his much anticipated and long-promised indictments of Republicans in his Bonusgate investigation.

There have been no Republican indictments since Corbett started the bonus investigation nearly 2 1/2 years ago or since he arrested 12 Democrats more than a year ago. Don't forget Corbett's giddy prediction regarding his next round of indictments:

"[The next Bonusgate charges] will shock the conscience of people...You will be stunned. It's the amount of money involved." (Tribune Review 2/20/09)

For a normally boring guy, Corbett sure built up some scintillating expectations!

Unfortunately, the Republican Indictment Express was derailed yesterday when former US Attorney/Fumo vanquisher Pat Meehan ended his nascent gubernatorial bid and endorsed Tom Corbett.

Now that Corbett doesn't need to out-prosecute Meehan in the political corruption category, he is much less likely to hammer the folks that have provided most of the funding and support to put him in office as Attorney General...and that will help him secure the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010.

Corbett has raised millions of dollars from Republican state legislators like Bob Jubelirer, Chip Brightbill and John Perzel, plus loads of contributions from GOP National Committeeman Bob Asher and Republican party committees. (Capitolwire, 10/17/07)

Recent polling shows that the vast majority Pennsyvlania Republican primary voters aren't looking for "a prosecutor who has experience dealing with crime and political corruption."

Knowing this, and with Meehan's endorsement, Corbett is likely to make the political fundraising calculation to take an early public relations hit (that will soon fade away in the minds of reporters, editorial writers and, most importantly, Republican voters) by bringing no or at best very weak Republican indictments that won't antagonize his Republican ATMs.

Instead of a "shocking" set of indictments comparable to the Democratic presentment from over a year ago, Corbett is likely to throw up his arms and say he doesn't have the evidence to prosecute Republicans -- as he did for York County DA Stan Rebert and Bedford County DA Bill Higgins.

At best, the much-anticipated Republican GOP indictments will be flimsy window dressing -- think former Rep. Matt Wright and Lisa Deon or former Rep. Brett Feese and his shady legal practice on state time.

Some of us at CasablancaPA still think Corbett is going to let Republicans off the hook completely. The majority here, however, believe Corbett has to do something and soon. We're hearing indictments this upcoming week (of course, all the Harrisburg blow-hards have been saying "next week" every week since July 2008.)

Regardless of whether or not Corbett and his keystone kops investigators indict Republicans, be prepared to be underwhelmed.