Rep. Sam Smith of the 66th District got the nod to be Speaker of Pennsylvania House at closed door meeting of the soon-to-be-in-control Republican caucus on Nov. 9 but the official vote comes Jan. 4 and it will be done in the open.
Bob Guzzardi of LibertyIndex.Com notes that if all Democrats and 11 Republicans vote against Smith, he will not get the job.
Smith was the man who submitted the infamous 2005 legislative pay-raise bill.
To his credit, though, he voted against the recently passed Gen Theft Pension Bailout Bill.
Tea Party favorite Rep. Daryl Metcalfe of the 12 District has asked that the Nov. 9 vote be postponed until December so those members of 112-member Republican House Caucus who are new to Harrisburg could get a better feel of the personalities seeking the offices.
The state’s Tea Party movement is pondering a phone-bank crusade aimed at newly elected representatives encouraging them to vote against Smith, and other old guard Republicans tapped for top posts.
Here’s a chance to dump that self-serving and unwanted bag of tea overboard. Let’s flex our muscles and deep six Sam Smith.