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Message from the miscommunications office
The day after the defeat of Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer and Senate Majority Leader David "Chip" Brightbill, the Senate Republican Communications Office made a boo-boo.
Office staffers mistakenly e-mailed reporters a draft of a position paper authored by Senate Majority Whip Jeffrey Piccola of Dauphin County.
The work-in-progress was filled with entire passages crossed out. As shown in a portion reproduced here, it's evident Piccola hadn't even settled on the title of the piece when it was in the hands of the media.
Moments after the release was e-mailed, the communications office sent another message recalling it. A revised version arrived a short time later.
Not to kick a party when it's down, but it certainly didn't make the state GOP seem like the most organized outfit.
Musical chairs at the state GOP
With the ouster in Tuesday's primary of the state Senate's top two Republican leaders, Robert Jubelirer and David "Chip" Brightbill, there's not much sentiment within the party for keeping Eileen Melvin as state committee chairperson.
So although Melvin was expected to run for a full two-year term when she was named in January 2005 to fill the unexpired term of former chairman Alan Novak, she will not be on the ballot when the committee elects officers next month.
Names that have surfaced as possible chairman candidates include Pittsburgh entrepreneur Glenn Meakem, Cambria County GOP Chairman Rob Gleason and former state Attorney General Jerry Pappert.
ORIE MOVING UP? With Jubelirer's and Brightbill's imminent departure, state Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, could emerge as a contender for a top Senate leadership post.
With two other Senate leaders retiring next year, Piccola, the majority whip, is the only current senator in a leadership position who is returning.
Other GOP names floating around for possible Senate leadership roles are Jake Corman of Centre County, Joe Scarnati of Warren County and Robert "Tommy" Tomlinson of Bucks County. Women contenders could be Jane Earll of Erie, Pat Vance of Cumberland County and Mary Jo White of Venango County.
LONG GONE. Speculation has begun as to the next move of Mike Long, Jubelirer's chief of staff and -- pun intended -- long one of Harrisburg's most powerful figures. Those in political circles believe Long will remain with Jubelirer for the remainder of the year, then leave state government for a lobbyist job.
THEN WHAT ABOUT JEN? Less certain is the future of Jubelirer campaign manager Jen Holman, who probably won't return to her previous position at the state Senate Republican Campaign Committee.
During the gubernatorial campaign's early days, Holman reportedly spent plenty of time raising more money for Lynn Swann, the eventual nominee, than she did for the committee. That's understandable since Holman's father, Mark Holman, is a Swann adviser.
But Jen Holman's effort to aid the Swann campaign supposedly wasn't a hit with Piccola. That's probably because Piccola was running for governor himself at the time and soon after had to give up his fledgling candidacy. The guess here is that Piccola won't welcome her back to the campaign committee.
SPECTER STAFF SHUFFLE. Sen. Arlen Specter's Pittsburgh staff is getting a major makeover.
Doug Saltzman, the executive director of Specter's Pittsburgh office, is leaving to become vice president of business development at the well-connected architectural and engineering firm L. Robert Kimball & Associates.
Saltzman worked in all or part of all five of Specter's Senate terms. His replacement is former Specter aide Stan Caldwell, current community development director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Caldwell rejoins Specter's staff on May 30.
Sen. Rick Santorum might soon have a vacancy to fill as well. Talk around town is Santorum state director Keith Schmidt is considering a move to the private sector and is mulling a move to a lobbying firm.
TALE OF THE TAPE. Mark Harris, who didn't officially graduate from George Washington University until this weekend, said he learned a lot from his primary upset over incumbent Tom Stevenson, R-Mt. Lebanon.
The challenger papered the district with 1,000 red-white-and-blue campaign signs -- and only then realized that a logo in front of his name caused some to read his name as O'Harris.
Oops.
What to do on short notice with a short budget? Harris said he bought about 10 rolls of red duct tape at Home Depot and spent a night traveling the district with volunteers to cover up the logo on both sides of all thousand signs.
The effort apparently paid off when he won the Republican primary Tuesday by 551 votes.
POLITICAL MELTDOWN. Did Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicities have a meltdown before last week's primary election? Depends on whom you talk to.
Martin Griglak, a political consultant and one-time Vicites ally, was a guest the week before the primary on WMBS in Uniontown. He was on "Let's Talk" with host Bob Foltz when a caller phoned in asking Griglak a question about Vicites, who lost a race for the Democrat nomination to the state House to Tim Mahoney.
What happened next depends on whom you talk to.
Griglak said the innocuous question came right before a commercial break. During the break, station manager Brian Mroziak came into the studio and told him that Vicites was in the station lobby "blubbering hysterically" and accusing Griglak of bias. Griglak said he was politely asked not to return for the second hour of the call-in show and so he left.
Mroziak said the incident was overblown and denied that Vicities came to the station to complain about Griglak's appearance or that he had a meltdown. He said the candidate simply came to the station to pick up a disc containing his political campaign spots for radio.
Vicities also denied coming unglued at the station and said he never complained about Griglak's appearance.
Griglak once was a political confidant of Vicites, when he first ran for county commissioner. Since they parted company last year, Griglak has been a political adviser to other Fayette candidates.
PROGRESS? State Rep. John Pallone, the veteran Westmoreland County Democrat, recently boasted of improving a vital cog in Allegheny Valley's economic development.
While lawmakers have earmarked taxpayer dollars into "rails to trails" programs for years, Pallone's unique project could be called "suds to pubs."
Yep, Pallone announced he secured a $184,240 grant to aid egress and ingress to Galli Beer Distributing in New Kensington.
The rail freight assistance grant will be used to rehabilitate, rebuild and replace a railroad spur and asphalt grade crossing at the Galli warehouse and distribution facility where 34 are employed full time.
"The upgrades to the track and roadway will allow Galli to improve its business without harming the flavor of the suburban setting where it is located," Pallone said.
JUNK MAIL AVALANCHE. Some residents in the 52nd state legislative district spanning portions of Fayette and Westmoreland counties may still be suffering from post-election back strain -- a result of lifting political mailings into their homes from 10 candidates.
Former North Union Township District Justice Deberah Kula earned the Democrat nomination and will face off this fall against Republican William Earnesty, a Dunbar cable technician.
Some of the advertisements were sleek, although unrealistic, such as a glossy ad generated by Frazier school director John Lowery, who outfitted a fly fisherman, fully equipped coal miner, nurse, doctor and policeman visiting an area library.
Another unsuccessful candidate, Gerald Lucia, Mt. Pleasant's fire chief and mayor, sent residents a crude, grammatically incorrect ad informing voters of "Jerrys" pledge to keep a legislative office open in town. The ad included a photograph of the borough's infamous "Doughboy" surrounded with clip art of U.S. flags.
-- compiled by Tribune-Review staff
