Rick Santorum. His running for president wouldn’t be so nauseating were he not consistently compared to the candidate he’ll likely face in the CNN/Tea Party debate this spring: Sarah Palin. The National Journal article linked at the end of this blurb is pretty typical of late Santorum profiles. He’s asked about Sarah Palin, it’s wondered whether or not he can beat her, what not, so on, so forth. Forevermore.

“Let’s put it this way: I’m not waiting for her to decide whether I’m running for president,” he continued. “So, to me, she’s certainly been a net plus to Republican efforts. She was a huge factor in the last election, to me mostly to the good, maybe not all to the good. But 90 percent is pretty good.”…Asked directly if Palin is qualified to be president, Santorum responded: “What does it mean to be qualified to be president? She is born in this country and she’s the right age. Those are the qualifications.”

How philosophical. [National Journal]

Governor Ed Rendell doesn’t think Governor-elect Tom Corbett and his Republican House and Senate should necessarily privatize the state’s liquor stores. (Perhaps because his buddies have a monopoly on the wine kiosks which exist solely because of the state’s liquor laws?) Some badass state rep out of MontCo went on Fox29 last night and told Rendell to shut the fuck up. In so many words. [Fox29]

Former Bucks/Northeast Philly Congressman Patrick Murphy was the first Iraq War veteran elected to congress, and now he’s been unseated. So where’s he go? The Fox Rothschild law firm, of course! That means Murphy is (likely) connected to the Illuninati/New World Order/9/11 Inside Job, or something. [Philly Business Journal]

You used to not be able to curse in public in Pennsylvania. (Right? Who knew?) Now, you can a little more, after a Luzerne County woman won her fine money (and then some) back from state police. “We as law enforcement officers have to understand that while [swearing] shows disrespect, it doesn’t violate the law.” Phony outrage losers can blame the ACLU for this, who helped win the case on the argument of something called “free speech.” [Inky]

We don’t know who thinks this is a good idea, but, nevertheless, someone does: Single copies of the Daily News and Inquirer are going up to $1 each, and the Sunday Inky will be $1.75. Philly Weekly is still free, besides what you pay in your Internet provider, solely to check out our blogs. [Philly.com]