Shapiro leads mutiny against DeWeese

Pennsylvania Democratic House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese never saw it coming.

On guard against more indictments from the Attorney General's office in the ever-expanding Bonusgate scandal, DeWeese wasn't watching his flank.

On Monday, DeWeese was stabbed in the back by one of his caucus members.

Josh Shapiro, who has been in the House for less than four years, struck a fatal blow to DeWeese at a press conference Shapiro called to denounce DeWeese's leadership and call for his resignation as majority leader.

Shapiro wasn't the first House member to publicly call for DeWeese's ouster, but Shapiro is no ordinary rank-and-file member of the Democratic Caucus.

Shapiro is the golden boy of the Democratic Party. His is a shooting star. He brokered the 2007 deal that put Dennis O'Brien as Speaker of the House when DeWeese couldn't muster enough votes for the coveted position.

Shapiro also led the reform effort in the House, although it sputtered in the end.

But here's the key to Shapiro's attack on DeWeese. Shapiro doesn't make a move without the approval of The Godfather, Edward G. Rendell. This was a sanctioned hit against DeWeese by Rendell.

Shapiro did the dirty work, but Monday's public humiliation of DeWeese comes directly from the No. 1 Democrat in Pennsylvania: Gov. Rendell.

Rendell was busy running around the state giving out big checks on Monday, so he sent Shapiro to deliver DeWeese's political death sentence.

There's no way for DeWeese to survive as majority leader. More Democrats will come out publicly against DeWeese, shielded by the golden boy, Shapiro, and under the implied protection of The Godfather, Ed Rendell.