Where's Ed?

If you're looking for Gov. Ed Rendell over the next few days, don't look inside the Capitol or the governor's residence a few blocks away, or even at his own house in Philadelphia. He's off to Europe.

He is taking his first international trade mission, going to Spain and the United Kingdom, in order to promote Penn's Woods as "an ideal location for Spanish and British companies to set up their U.S. operations,'' according to a press release.

He said he wants to build on "previous successes,'' such as luring the Spanish wind energy firm Gamesa to work on windmill energy in Pennsylvania, as well as Shire Pharmaceuticals from the U.K.

Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty is going with him to Spain but then will branch off to Germany, meeting with officials from North-Rhine Westphalia "to emphasize Pennsylvania's leadership in the field of renewable energy.''

Mr. Rendell is going to meet with government and business officials in Bilbao, Spain and London. He'll be back here on Tuesday, in time to get started on 2007-08 budget talks with legislative leaders.

Where's Al?

If you've ever thought about becoming the state secretary of transportation -- and, after all, who hasn't -- you might want to factor this into your thinking: the duties can include having to stand on or under some really crummy bridges around the state.

That's what's happening to current PennDOT Secretary Allen Biehler, who is visiting various deteriorated bridges in different cities as a way to showcase the need for the state to raise $965 million a year for road and bridge improvements sought by his boss, Gov. Ed Rendell.

Last week Mr. Biehler went to an ailing bridge in Johnstown, and today he's going to see two more bridges. One is south of Nanticoke, Luzerne County and the other is in Allentown, Lehigh County.

Next week he will be at bridges in Philadelphia, Erie and Westmoreland County.

In Allentown he will stand under the Tilghman Street Bridge there. It's all part of "a statewide tour to highlight the critical need for new transportation funding,'' according to a press release from Mr. Rendell's office.

So far, Mr. Rendell and Mr. Biehler have been unable to persuade state legislators to approve the governor's plan to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private operator for up to 99 years and for a payment of as much as $18 billion. The governor would invest that lump sum and hope to get at least $965 million a year for road/bridge improvements.

PennDOT has set up a new Web site for anyone who wants more information on all the "closed, weight-restricted and structurally deficient bridges'' in the state.

All this may serve some legitimate governmental purpose, but we suspect it's Mr. Biehler's penance for PennDOT's performance in that ice storm last winter.

Where's Rick?

Gone but not forgotten; or, forgotten but not gone. In any case, the June issue of Crisis magazine is up with the post-election agenda of former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, as he moves from the frenetic life of a senator to a schedule dominated by his family, his new think tank, American's Enemies, and guest appearances on Fox News. Joan Frawley Desmond tells us that, "This post-election interlude has yielded time to ponder the victories and missteps that defined Santorum's career in the Senate. Supporters hope it's the right moment to correct his public image as a right-wing extremist intolerant of Americans who don't fit a "Father Knows Best'' storyline.''

Ms. Desmond makes it clear that she does not think that image is an accurate one in a laudatory profile that laments the news coverage that followed Mr. Santorum's career.

Where's the smoking ban?

State Sen. Wayne Fontana says he'll push to have the Senate vote by June 30 on the Clean Indoor Air Act, which would ban smoking in all public places statewide, including bars, restaurants and workplaces.

Allegheny County had a similar countywide ban thrown out by the Commonwealth Court after two Pittsburgh bar owners challenged it. The court held the state, but not a county, could ban smoking in public places. The statewide smoking ban bill has been sponsored by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery.

Mr. Fontana, D-Brookline, said, "It's no longer a question of 'if' Pennsylvania will impose a statewide smoking ban, but a matter of when. I believe that the time is now, and I call on Senate leadership to make a commitment to move this legislation."

Erik Arneson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, said Mr. Fontana will likely get his wish for a June vote. According to a new Quinnipiac University poll, 60 percent of Pennsylvanians support the statewide ban.