Perzel under the fry light again

Apparently even a $5k/month consultant (see prev. here) can't keep state house speaker John Perzel's foot out of his mouth: first he quipped that tattoo artists make more than state legislators (anyone else reminded of dairy workers?). Then he felt the need to defend the pay raise despite its roll-back and the clear electoral evidence of voter wrath. Now he's back-tracking on the latter, although without apology (and still without having returned his unvouchered expense money). Apparently his colleagues didn't appreciate his bringing more voter response down on their heads over an issue they're trying to downplay with a spate of legislative activity. Commenters are taking bets on how long the self-imposed gag rule will hold...

Other wags were quick to react to the latest deaf ear demonstration. Daily News columnist Elmer Smith sees this as more evidence that legislators are out of touch with regular Pennsylvanians, especially noting the challenges facing minimum-wage households in the state. John Baer worries that if Perzel can manage to hold his tongue, a major source of column humor material may dry up. The DN opinion page thinks the most recent showing reflected poorly on Perzel and on general legislative bloat. Personally, I think Perzel is looking ungainly as a politician and insecure as a leader; this could be the year for returning challenger Tim Kearney to really make things happen in the northeast...