Pennsylvania Democrats have tried to make perennial independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader go away, and now they're trying to take his money, too, according to McClatchy Newspapers.

Three years ago, Mr. Nader attempted to get on the Pennsylvania ballot to run for president. Democrats still smarting from his 2000 effort -- which the party blames for Al Gore losing in Florida, ultimately costing him the presidency -- were diligent about checking his nominating petitions for 2004 and went to court when they found more than two-thirds of the signatures were inadequate or fraudulent. In addition to keeping him off of the 2004 ballot, Democrats won a judgment of $81,102 against him to cover the costs for transcription fees and hand-writing analysts.

But Mr. Nader has been slow to pay the judgment and still owes Pittsburgh law firm Reed Smith about $61,000. He tells McClatchy that he fears the attorneys will try to get Washington, D.C., officials to attach his assets for the judgment.

Mr. Nader told McClatchy the whole incident is "embarrassing" to him but that won't make him pay quickly. He considers Pennsylvania laws "political bigotry of enormous proportions" because they require far more signatures from minor and independent candidates than from Democrats and Republicans.

"Yes, I can afford it," Mr. Nader told McClatchy, "but the necessity of a diversified electoral process can't afford it."

State Democratic Chairman T.J. Rooney said he's happy attorneys will try to enforce the judgment.

"I think that's great. You're goddamned right he should pay, and he should go away, because he didn't learn his lesson in 2000."

Harrisburg heat

Tempers are getting frayed in the governor's office, the Legislature and even the overworked press corps as the battle of the 2007-08 state budget drags on.

Gov. Ed Rendell, who is known for his frank and sometimes injudicious comments about political foes and reporters who don't see things the way he does, snapped this week that some fiscal conservatives are "imbeciles" for opposing his spending plans.

Conservatives are carping about the new budget being 3.5 percent, or 4.5 percent, or 5.3 percent higher than the just-ended 2006-07 budget, depending on who's doing the math. Mr. Rendell said the new spending plan, which still needs approval from the House and Senate, takes care of the needs of the state for education, transportation and other issues and sees no reason to quibble over math about a spending increase, which he claims is still less than most other states.

Then today, the Philadelphia Inquirer has a story about Mr. Rendell blasting one of the citizen activists who opposed the 2005 pay raise, Eric Epstein of Rock the Capital. Earlier this week, the Inky quoted Mr. Epstein as saying of the governor, who at one point proposed seven tax increases, "I think he believes he has a mandate to pillage, but he won 61 percent of the vote against an empty suit last year and he didn't have a clear agenda until June 30.''

The paper said that when Mr. Rendell read that, he called up and criticized the paper for quoting Mr. Epstein at all, saying, "Eric Epstein is about as mentally stable as that guy who ate all those people."

We've got to get this budget enacted soon so everyone can cool off.

Specter v. Democrats

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., is leading a renewed fight with Democrats over conservative judicial nominees, according to a report in today's Politico.

On Tuesday, Mr. Specter met with representatives from more than a dozen conservative groups in his office to lay out a strategy.

The most prominent nominee is former Mississippi Judge Leslie H. Southwick. He has earned the ire of liberals because of his backing of several controversial decisions, including "upholding the reinstatement of a white Mississippi social worker who'd been fired for using a racial epithet to refer to an African-American co-worker."

Mr. Specter told Politico that Judge Southwick could have been "more sensitive" in several cases, but he said those weren't the norm in the nominee's judicial record. He accused Democrats of backing down on promises to move forward on President Bush's nominees.

"Our 49 Republican senators have the power to retaliate. I backed Clinton's appointees when they were qualified. I've crossed party lines when warranted. I've never been a party to any power plays, but I'm fed up," he said.

The Hill also reported on Mr. Specter's judicial fight.

Casey pays tribute to PA's fallen

During a debate yesterday on the Senate floor about U.S. policy in the Iraq war, Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey read the names of all 169 Pennsylvanians who have died in the war. Here is an excerpt from his speech:

"I will speak today only about our troops and their families. The numbers are important:

"3,609 Americans have lost their lives, including 169 from Pennsylvania -- the third highest toll of any state;

"Over 25,000 have been wounded, including more than 1,100 from Pennsylvania;

"Approximately 156,000 Americans, both active-duty and reserve forces, are currently serving in Iraq, including more than 8,000 from Pennsylvania;

"Those numbers surely don't tell the whole story. Especially when we consider the traumatic effect the war has had on individual families. These fighting men and women were born into families, not into divisions and brigades. They are sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. Their love for their families is matched only by their devotion to our country."

Eight of the soldiers he named were from the city of Pittsburgh: Douglas J. Weismantle, Rafael L. Navea, Nicholas A. Tomko, Robert E. Hall Jr., Patrick Brian Kenny, Mark W. Melcher, Jason M. West and Thomas E. Vandling Jr.