You have to hand it to PA Rep. Bill DeWeese, southwestern Pennsylvania's most prolific Democratic leader.  The former Marine has been assaulted on all sides, and yet he always seems to emerge on top of his rivals.  That's what he did again on Tuesday afternoon, when he withstood attack from some of his own Democratic colleagues to maintain a leadership position within the House Democratic caucus in Harrisburg and help engineer his own replacement.

      DeWeese will now be the Majority Whip, a step down from his Majority Leader spot of this past term, but clearly a leadership position that will allow DeWeese to wax eloquent on the House floor as he has done so many times in the past.  Taking his job as Majority Leader will be his friend and supporter PA Rep. Todd Eachus of Hazelton, Luzerne County.  Eachus, who chaired the House Democratic Campaign Committee, defeated PA Rep. Frank Dermody of Oakmont, Allegheny County, the caucus secretary.  Eachus has been criticized by some for approving the transfer of $40,000 from Democrats' campaign account to pay the campaign debts of former PA Rep. Mike Veon of Beaver Falls. 

      The next Speaker of the House is likely to be PA Rep. Keith McCall of Carbon County, who served as Majority Whip under DeWeese.  McCall -- who voted for the payraise before he voted against it and then kept it -- needs to be elected to this position by the full House of Representatives in January.  With the Democrats now in charge, 104 to 99, McCall's election should be guaranteed, as long as the Democrats keep their votes together.

      If it sounds a bit like musical chairs on the Democratic side, it is.  That description does not fit the Republican side, where GOP House members voted to keep PA Rep. Sam Smith of Punxatawney as their Minority Leader.  Smith was challenged by the party's former leader PA Rep. John Perzel of Philadelphia.  The newest member of the Republican leadership team is PA Rep. Mike Turzai of Bradford Woods, Allegheny County.  Turzai was unopposed for the Minority Whip job. 

      What does all this say about the Democratic and Republican parties in the state House?  You tell me.