What did Bill DeWeese know and when did he know it?

Support for embattled House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese is crumbling in the wake of the biggest corruption scandal in Pennsylvania history.

DeWeese, who took over as majority leader when the Democrats regained the majority in the House after the 2006 elections, has not been indicted but his former chief of staff, Michael Manzo, and DeWeese lieutenant, Mike Veon, former House Democratic Whip, are at the center of the Bonusgate criminal investigation.

"What did Bill DeWeese know and when did he know it?" is the most popular question being asked around the state Capitol these days.

Eric Epstein, founder of the reform group RockTheCapital.org, told The Philadelphia Inquirer: "DeWeese is asking the public to buy into the I or I defense. He is either incompetent because he didn't know what was going on ... or he is an idiot if he thinks the public is going to continue to buy his line of defense."

Even if DeWeese manages to avoid being indicted himself or somehow manages to win re-election on Nov. 4, there is no way he will hold on to his leadership post when the Democrats reorganize in January. (Read "DeWeese's credibility at stake over scandal" in The Inquirer)

DeWeese barely won re-election in 2006 because of public anger over the pay raise fiasco that DeWeese helped orchestrate the previous year. Political newcomer Greg Hopkins finished just 1,041 votes behind DeWeese. Hopkins is challenging DeWeese again in November.

DeWeese is the public face of Bonusgate. If the Democrats are ever to shake the corruption label, they have to jettison DeWeese. And do it in a hurry.

The Democrats always stand together as a caucus (101 of 102 Democrats voted in favor of the 2008-09 General Fund budget), but the ranks are crumbling.

State Reps. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne County) and Bill Keller (D-Philadelphia) have called on DeWeese to resign, according to The Associated Press and the usually on-target Capitolwire.com

John Micek at Capitol Ideas says state Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, has also called DeWeese to step aside.

Expect more Democrats to distance themselves from caucus leadership in an attempt to save themselves at the polls. The chorus to toss DeWeese overboard will continue to grow louder over the next four months.