Monthly archives for June, 2012

Last of a Line

Jun11th
2012 Leave a Comment Robert Swift Written by Robert Swift

William Fisher Packer was the last of a line of Democratic governors of Pennsylvania elected prior to the Civil War. After Packer’s term ended just as the Civil War started in 1861, it would be another twenty years before a Democrat won the governorship. And that governor, Robert Pattison, would be the only Democrat to serve until the New Deal.

Packer, like many in his party, tried to reconcile North and South as tensions over slavery and westward expansion during the 1850s tore the nation apart. He was unsuccessful because of dramatic events like “Bloody Kansas”, the war between pro-slavery emigrants and free-soilers for control of that territory, and John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. READ MORE »

History, Politics

The Strange Case of the Orie Sisters

Jun5th
2012 2 Comments G. Terry Madonna Written by G. Terry Madonna

By now, the Orie sister saga is well known to the state’s political community. Three sisters have been charged with political corruption, essentially using state tax monies for campaign purposes. The case has several unusual aspects, not least is the fact that no examples in state history can be found for the prosecutions of three sisters for political corruption, much less a sitting state senator, a sitting Supreme Court justice, and a sibling who worked for the justice. State Senator Jane Orie was just sentenced to 2.5 to 10 years for public corruption and forgery–in all 14 counts. Her sister Joan Orie Melvin faces nine criminal charges relating to her unsuccessful 2003 Supreme Court election and her successful one in 2009. Sister Janine, who has had one mistrial already, will face trial allegedly for using tax payer resources for campaign purposes and directing the staff of Justice Melvin to do likewise. She worked for her sister from 1997 until 2010. READ MORE »

Politics, Uncategorized