Hot Blondes Make Even the Lamest Political Controversies More Compelling
Daily News columnist John Baer penned a fascinating column today following up on a lobbying flap involving Gov. Ed Rendell that state Sen. Jeff Piccola raised via the online political news service Capitol Wire last week. The nutshell story is that Piccola hired a private eye to investigate whether Leslie Merril McCombs (formerly Leslie Pallotta) illegally lobbied the governor for a $75 million tax break for moviemakers that was passed last month.
However, it’s obvious that what makes the story interesting is the outward appearance of McCombs — a former Pittsburgh anchorwoman, former pageant gal and pot-bellied pig owner — and the “friendship” she has with the governor. Baer writes: “[I]f actress Leslie McCombs looked like actor Leslie Nielsen (”Airplane!” “Naked Gun”), would there be such hot pursuit?”
Great question. The tabloid-y photo of the Guv attending a Pirates game with McCombs certainly seems calculated to imply something salacious, and a Piccola comment in the column helps the implication along:
Asked to comment on the Piccola probe yesterday, Rendell said, “The last person to hire a private detective to look into something in the state Senate got indicted.”
Fellow Philly Democrat Vince Fumo allegedly used a P.I. to spy on an ex-girlfriend. Rendell lamely added, “Only kidding.”
Then Piccola joined the kidding. Told about Rendell’s comment, Piccola said, “I don’t have a girlfriend to spy on.”
The Governor’s penchant for hound-dogging has long been a not-so-secret rumor, and it would appear that Blonde Leslie fits some of the governor’s aesthetic requirements. Baer tells the Daily Examiner that the tone of the column and the questions surrounding McCombs’s “friendship” were intentional: “There is a buzz around him and always has been,” he says.
“This is just continuing the legacy.” So, does Baer, who says he has met McCombs a few times, suspect there’s been some blonde-lobbyist/head-of-state canoodling going on? “You’ll have to ask the Governor.”
Maybe later.
The Guv, the blonde, and the lobbying law [Philly.com]
Leslie Merrill McCombs [The Talent Guide]
PHOTO: The Talent Guide
September 19th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
You misspelled her “formerly” last name. It is correctly spelled “Pallotta”.