So, thanks to Catherine Baker Knoll I see that Pennsylvania now has a Republican Lt. Governor

God rest her soul, I know she just passed away recently, but PA picks the leader of one of their branches of Congress which happens to be republican control.

I knew that CBK was in her 80s and not in good health - why did she insist on running again for Lt. Governor especially knowing that there was a good chance that a republican would be replacing her if she did pass away.

Well, on the bright side, I doubt that Ed Rendell will be picked for a job in the Obama administration knowing that it would turn Pennsylvania over to the republicans.

CBK was in excellent health until her cancer which was diagnosed in July, and though she was 76 when reelected in 2006, she had not missed one single day of work - for health reasons or otherwise. That streak continued through September of this year.

It is unfortunate that the new Lt. Governor is of the opposition party, but that is a fixable quirk of our state constitution, not the fault of a very capable public official.

Incidentally, her successor, 47-year-old Sen. Joe Scarnati, had cancer surgery earlier this year showing that you don't have to be in your late 70's to suffer CBK's fate.

Unlike some other states, the Lt. Governor has no real power. The tasks are so limited that the guy is going to keep his Senate seat. As long as Rendell doesn't eat too many cheese steaks, the matter is academic.

Rendell last month said he wouldn't leave PA while there was a budget crisis and his Lt. Gov. was very ill.

that the day before she died, Rendell said publicly that he would not accept a position in IBM's admin. That he had made a commitment to the people of PA to be their governor.

Methinks he knew then that she did not have much time left, and that her replacement would be a Re pub.

...It's a little unfair to say "thanks to CBK we have a Republican Lt. Governor" IMHO. Catherine Baker Knoll did a lot for our state, and especially for the status of women in PA Politics. I for one would like to show her a little more respect than saying something like that!

I am sure she was not aware that she had health problems; the last time I spoke with her was at the June PA Democratic State Committee meeting. She had not been diagnosed with cancer or any other grave illness at that point.

People are living longer these days; I think someone in their 70's should not drop away from politics or anything else solely because of their age. Would you want someone like John Conyers (for example) to retire at this point just because of age? I DON'T!!