People may want to keep track of the Chaka Fattah corruption story, because this is a really interesting tidbit: “One of four people indicted with U.S. [mc_name name=’Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’F000043′ ] is known to Democrats statewide and politicians at the state Capitol: Herbert Vederman was a major contributor and fundraiser for former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.”  Most of the Pennsylvania Democrats involved in scandals of this type – and there are a large number of Pennsylvania Democrats that get involved in scandals; I’d say that there’s something in the water, except that I don’t want to listen to people start ranting about fracking – are generally limited in the scope of their chicanery. But somebody with ties to Eddie Rendell?  …Well, that’s a different story.

Not that anybody’s ever been able to pin anything on Gov. Rendell and make it stick.  Still, it’s odd: you would think that a popular two-term former governor of Pennsylvania would have seamlessly transitioned from his term-limited time in office to a nice Cabinet seat, or maybe a Senate bid – or, honestly, a Presidential one. On paper he’d be a great choice, particularly since Hillary Clinton is simply horrible at running for office. And yet, he’s done nothing of the sort. Either Ed Rendell is remarkably lacking in ambition for a politician, or there’s some really good dirt on the fellow. I suppose that it would be unkind to assume the latter.

Still. Herbert Vederman himself is not yet cooperating with the authorities:

Vederman’s attorney, Catherine M. Recker, said he will plead not guilty.

“The government has cherry-picked facts to support its cynical view of friendship and wrongly labeled it bribery,” she said.

…and I give his attorney full points for chutzpah. But I do wonder if Vederman knows any stories.  There seems to always be just one more, and usually starring the Pennsylvania Democratic party.

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