Governor Corbett Demonstrates Integrity in Responding to the Orie Melvin Conviction

Governor Corbett has shown that he has a far larger moral compass than his predecessor. Upon the conviction of his fellow Republican, suspended State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, Corbett was quoted as saying, "The conviction of Justice Melvin shows that no public official is above the law."

This stands in stark contrast to Governor Edward Rendell, who always declined any comment when fellow Democrats of the Legislature were convicted of corruption and sentenced to jail.  How could Rendell say anything when he would soon go to court to argue for leniency for his crooked pals, including former Senate powerhouse Vincent Fumo and former House member and Revenue Department Secretary Stephen Stetler, both of whom are currently incarcerated?  I imagine Rendell would also have argued for leniency for multiple felon H. William DeWeese were it not for the bad blood between them, allegedly due to Rendell's involvement with DeWeese's ex-wife, as asserted in a new book by veteran Philadelphia Daily News reporter John Baer.

I am sure that Governor Corbett and I share a sense of sadness over the conviction of Justice Orie Melvin.  For him to acknowledge his duty to accept that a criminal conviction has been returned and forsake partisan maneuvering is an act of good governance and integrity.