Pennsylvania Democratic Bonus Scandal and DeWeese

Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Perhaps repeating the following statement often enough will make it come true:

Democrats in Harrisburg will never convince the public they've changed their selfish, arrogant ways until Rep. Bill DeWeese (D., Greene) is removed as House majority leader.

The latest person to acknowledge that fact also happens to be the most important thus far - Deputy Speaker Josh Shapiro (D., Montgomery). Shapiro called on DeWeese on Monday to resign his leadership post.

"We can't do better ... until we dedicate ourselves to a new direction," Shapiro said.

The indictments of 12 current and former House Democratic staffers and legislators, including DeWeese's chief of staff and his top lieutenant, former Rep. Mike Veon of Beaver County, should have been the final clue for DeWeese that it's time to go.

A grand jury laid in out in embarrassing detail how Democratic leaders allegedly doled out taxpayer-funded bonuses to staffers as rewards for campaign work, which is illegal.

DeWeese rebuffed the call for his resignation and said he believed Shapiro "has been distraught since he was named in the grand jury's presentment." That would be hilarious, if it weren't so despicably desperate. Shapiro isn't "named" for misconduct in the report; his name appears in an email written by DeWeese's chief of staff, directing that an aide receive a $1,000 bonus for "knocking on doors" in Shapiro's district. Meanwhile, DeWeese's name appears at least 19 times in the grand jury report.

You'll want to read the whole thing.