Weenies! If we’re not supposed to look at what goes into sausage, then we certainly don’t want to see the insides of political deals where power corrupts absolutely and absolute power corrupts.

House Speaker Matthew Ryan, R-Delaware, warned Rep. Frank Gigliotti, D-Pittsburgh, that if he entered onto the chamber’s floor last week he would do so
"at great peril." Although Gigliotti has since announced a departure date of June 15, those were brave words at the time for a battle almost over. After defending the continued presence of Rep. Frank Serafini, R-Lackawanna, on the grounds that he proclaimed his innocence (like O.J.), political chieftains were hoping Gigliotti would go of his accord after admitting his wrongdoing. At the time a colleague said, "He needed a couple more pay checks to help pay down the big legal bill he’s got forthcoming," a colleague told the dailies. How nice to pay down legal debt with taxpayer money.

Better yet, why not just pull out all the stops? Apparently, in a "what-do-I-care-now" move, Gigliotti sent to 20 or so House friends a letter on official House stationary asking them to write nice things to his sentencing judge. Think about it — what an intimidating act for a guy who has already cut his deal. It’s certainly not subtle. It’s like saying to your old pals: If I cut my own deal, you better worry I’d didn’t rat on you in the process to lighten my own load. Now write nice things about me in case I’m asked again about all sorts of murky stuff.

Hmm. Lots of weenies running around on Capitol Hill. Earlier this week, Rep. William Slocum was sentenced in federal court to one month’s jail time, five months detention (except for when he’s at work in the General Assembly), followed by seven months probation and a $15,000 fine. One-time Chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee with environmental oversight powers, Slocum had pled guilty to dumping loads of pollutants into our waterways while in a lower elected office.

On the question of should he stay or go, the slices of political sausage used to justify those arguments are so thin you could read MODE through them with your good eye closed. Sad part is Philly Senator Vincent Fumo doesn’t think the Senate can put together enough votes to remove Slocum. To defend their power bases, operatives used phrases like "unprecedentedly stringent" and "thoroughly ventilated" to describe previously proposed censure and/or removal measures against Slocum. We think the chambers of the General Assembly ought to be "thoroughly ventilated" — and soon. This whole situation is turning into a really bad Italian opera.

The real deal is control of the General Assembly for next year’s Congressional redistricting. There is so much at stake that no act is too egregious to cause removal from that august chamber, especially if it means your majority is lost – and to your opponent go the spoils of redistricting. Power corrupts absolutely and absolute power corrupts.