Montco politics is the cure for post mid-term election blues

In what has surely been the most interesting week in Montgomery County Republican politics in recent memory, the Intelligencer's Margaret Gibbons is in top form with the kind of juicy Montco insider column we remember from her days in Norristown. Here's some much needed news from the other side of the aisle:

State Rep. Josh Shapiro, an Abington Democrat who was just re-elected to the state House, is seriously considering running for Montgomery County commissioner.

Initially, you might want to ring this up under wishful thinking by county Democrats who believe that Democratic incumbent Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III is too damaged by all the ongoing fighting in the current administration to lead them to majority control of the board of commissioners.

Or, as Hoeffel spins it, an idea spurred on by some disgruntled Democrats who are bummed that Hoeffel did not throw more patronage plums their way since he enjoys such unprecedented power in this current administration.

We interrupt this block quote with an observation that Hoeffel's spin here is especially rich. Are we to believe that Hoeffel, that paragon of ethical responsibility, is claiming that the Montco Dems are ditching him not because he wasted untold sums of money on an ill-advised run for Governor, not because his alliance with Jim Matthews has turned him into political poison, but because he didn't do enough favors for his Dem cronies during his tenure as Commissioner? Are we really to believe that the Montgomery County Democratic Party demands even MORE patronage than he has delivered thus far?

That doesn't quite...seem....possible....

Could Shapiro and Hoeffel run together as a team?

Unlikely. Both are politically ambitious and both would want to be chairman if the Democrats for the first time took control of the board of commissioners.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here. "Chairman?" Hopefully, Hoeffel's term represents as close as the Dems will get to a Chairmanship of Montgomery County Commissioners as we will see for a long time. And we don't even know who the endorsed running mate will be. While we know it WON'T be Hoeffel, right now there is only speculation. The only other name I've heard bandied about is Whitemarsh's Leslie Richards.

However, it probably would not reach the same level of disaster that occurred when Republicans paired Castor with Commissioner Chairman James R. Matthews almost four years ago.

Could there be a primary battle between Hoeffel and Shapiro, Hoeffel's former chief of staff when Hoeffel was in Congress? Hoeffel, who can be as stubborn as they come, has already said that he plans to win one of his party's two commissioner endorsements but, if he doesn't, will take his re-election bid to voters in the primary election.

Meanwhile, back on the right side of the aisle, we have the following two gems. First, regarding that Corbett Administration appointment for the 24/7 political animal:

Matthews at best could end up with some secondary payback post that gives him a desk on which to prop up his feet and an empty title that gives him an opportunity to schmooze with the muckety-mucks. Still, even such a token position will enable Matthews to save face because his chances of getting re-elected next year are nonexistent.

Does that secondary payback position come with guaranteed Taurus lease payments?

Second, we have this bit about Commissioner number three:

After all, Republican Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. is serving his apprenticeship for a similar future gubernatorial bid by doing time as a county commissioner.

Perhaps he does have his eye on the governor's mansion, but at least Mr. Castor actually serves in the office to which he's elected, unlike some perpetual candidates for any available office that I could name. So who will be Bruce's endorsed running mate, since again, we know who it will NOT be?

My vote is for bachelorette number 1, Bruce.