Pennsylvania Democrat breaks with Obama, and other local matters

If Democrats can lose Anthony Weiner’s seat in New York City, could Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Bob Casey lose his seat to a Republican next year? Seems Casey might think so, as the state’s senior senator is parting ways with President Obama over his jobs bill.

“I’m afraid if we tried to pass one big bill, I think there’s a lot of skepticism about big pieces of legislation with all kinds of different component parts,” Casey told Pittsburgh TV station KDKA. “We should break this up.”

Read about it here.

Locally, I commend this insiders’ analysis of what’s happening in Philadelphia City Council’s re-districting fight from from the Daily News’ Jan Ransom, and the photo above by the paper’s photographer David Maialetti.

I knew Maialetti as a wizzard with a lens and a terrific guy when I worked at the paper. Only he could find art in City Council chambers.

And local businessman, former mayoral candidate and now documentary producer Sam Katz has finished the second in his series on the history of Philadelphia. This one, about the yellow fever that swept through the city in the 1790’s is available if you’ll chip in to help finance the project. Hear Sam explain here.