A smattering of Monday politicians

Now that I'm well, Blogger is misbehaving, so I only hope I'll get some posts through...

• Governor Ed Rendell needs all the friends he can get for his upcoming election, so he should probably try not to alienate major union leaders from the Western part of the state...
  
  
• YPP catches an apparent flip-flop on birth control from Sen. Rick Santorum (who would probably prefer not to discuss his views on the matter at all).
  
  
• The Sunday Inquirer had more embarrassing revelations about state legislators taking expenses, including Philadelphia's own Mark Cohen. This time it's per diem expenses being claimed by those who don't actually need a hotel room or meal out. Sigh. Above Average Jane ruminates on this story, particularly wondering who owns a house whose mortgage was paid for with taxpayer bucks (is at least the appreciation owed back?). She also notes that things were quite different just a few years ago, at least to judge by Joe Hoeffel's experience during his state legislature years.
  
  
• Hannah Miller talks about what it's been like trying to do grassroots organizing in Philadelphia and then getting rocketed into the midst of the competitive state house race in the 175th. She's working with Anne Dicker, and her stories from the campaign trail are both inspiring and a bit of an eye-opener about what an independent Democratic candidate is up against. I expect great things from that camp.
  
  (For those with interest, there's also a discussion in the comments there about how local organizations have and/or should decide their endorsements, how they should balance their various organizational and political principles, and how to keep working together even with some disappointments along the way. Chewy.)
  
  
• Marc Stier is setting aside blogging to work on supporting primary candidates, and he sums up the Neighborhood Networks endorsements for the elections in May. There is plenty of need for volunteers in the three remaining weeks, so get in touch with his NN committee or with any of the campaigns to pitch in.
  
  
• Finally, the Daily News looks at the "new kids" running for Democratic Committee seats this year. Probably not inaccurate, although a little condescending:

  [T]hey're young, progressive, passionate and know how to build a Web site. Depending on whom you talk to, they're either going to invigorate the creaking party machine or jam up the works.

  They cite the startling figure of 200-300 such newcomers; however, that sounds a bit slighter when you figure there are some 3000 committee seats throughout Philadelphia (66 wards, each with a couple of dozen Divisions, with 2 each)... The influx of motivated young people has to be good, although some Ward leaders are more welcoming than others. Albert Yee (look, you're in bold!) recalls evidence that some major powers are preparing for defensive battle from their entrenched positions.