Fast Eddie's fudge factory: Get real

Why did Gov. Ed Rendell trash a more extensive, less positive state audit of Medicaid error rates? Because it doesn't suit his political purposes as well as a less extensive, more positive federal audit that does.

Mr. Rendell says elected officials of both parties should stop using the state Department of Public Welfare, which administers federal Medicaid funding, as a "whipping boy" because a new federal audit found a 4-percent error rate in Pennsylvania's handling of Medicaid cases.

But the feds' audit covered just 500 cases. One released last month by state Auditor General Jack Wagner -- which covered 13,789 cases -- told a far different story: a whopping 15.5-percent error rate.

Rendell says the state audit is "out of line and out of whack." And it is -- with his priorities. But it's perfectly in line with taxpayers' priorities. Mr. Wagner says correcting a 10-percent error rate could save $436 million that could help close Pennsylvania's $4 billion budget gap.

Republican Gov.-elect Tom Corbett will consider Wagner's Medicaid audit as he targets all sorts of Harrisburg waste, fraud and abuse.

And expect savings to be found that Rendell -- a truth-fudging tax-and-spend Democrat to the end -- never did during his eight years as governor.

Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania Governor, Rips Vikings-Eagles Postponement

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There's been no shortage of criticism surrounding the NFL's decision to postpone the Vikings-Eagles game to Tuesday despite massive snowfalls hitting the Northeast. On Monday, criticism came from the governor of Pennsylvania himself.

"Vince Lombardi would be spinning in his grave," Ed Rendell said in a live interview with a television station.

Despite concern about the level of snow and how it would effect those traveling to the game, Rendell was strongly opposed to the delay.

"I think it is a joke," Rendell said. "I was looking forward to this. It would have been a real experience. This is what football is all about. We're becoming a nation of wussies."

He later said, "This is no way, shape or form a blizzard!"

The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, but was flexed into the primetime spot on NBC. It will now be played Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

DAILY GRINDER: Ed Rendell’s Football And Other Related Woes

First up: Quick reminders. As of 9 p.m. last night, the city’s snow emergency is deemed over. If you were supposed to put your trash out yesterday, you have to wait until January 3. If you’re going to the Eagles game tonight, SEPTA’s got a “Sports Express” in which trains will be leaving from Fern Rock every 10 minutes between 6:08 p.m. and 7:38 p.m. The overall storyline on the storm seems to be this: Not as bad as it could have been. [Fox 29]

But that’s not to say we won’t be feeling the effects of Sunday’s snow for some time. For instance, Governor Ed Rendell’s ‘Nation of wussies’ comment is going to be talked about for at least the next month, while he empties the governor’s mansion of Eagles gear, Buffalo sauce and “Clinton ’08” bumper stickers. [CBS]

Here’s one guy talking about it now: Jim Deegan at Lehigh Valley Live says Rendell “should just shut up” about Eagles-related concerns. His main reason (which is as good as any): The Winter Highway Debacle of four years ago, in which “thousands of motorists [were] stranded for two days on 40 miles of interstate in Lehigh, Berks and Lebanon counties.” Not to mention Ed Rendell threw a snowball at the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 while attending an Eagles game. That involved both snow and sports. And beer? [Lehigh Valley Live]

And how’s Eddy going to find the time to talk his way out of this one? After all, he’s got work to do, like explain the thousands and thousands of pages of agency transition reports – described as a “mixture of raw data, recent accomplishments, legislative issues and narrative descriptions of the challenges ahead” – he handed over to Corbett’s team of lobbyists, oil industry tycoons and Pennsylvania’s finest hucksters. [AP]

Not to mention President Barack Obama is totally stealing his thunder. According to reports – and confirmed by our vacationing president’s spokesman Bill Burton, working out of Hawaii this week – the president placed a call to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie thanking him for giving Michael Vick a second chance. “He does think that individuals who have paid for their crimes should have an opportunity to contribute to society again,” Burton told CBS. Lurie likely said back to the president: “No problem, buddy…All the way to the bank!” Or something. How’s that joke work? [CBS]

Gov. Ed Rendell blasts decision to postpone Vikings-Eagles game...again

Workers clear snow from the Linc for tonight's game. (David Maialetti/Philly.com)

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell really disliked the NFL's decision to move the Sunday night game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles to tonight because of a blizzard forecast.

After calling the postponement "a joke" and saying that "Vince Lombardi would be spinning in his grave," on Sunday, his anger was unabated Monday, when he made frequent use of the "w" word.

"My biggest beef is that this is part of what's happened in this country," Rendell said in an interview on 97.5 radio in Philly. "I think we've become wussies. ... We've become a nation of wusses. The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything. If this was in China do you think the Chinese would have called off the game? People would have been marching down to the stadium, they would have walked and they would have been doing calculus on the way down."

He needs to focus on the big picture: Moving the game to Tuesday -- the NFL's first on that day since 1946 -- means that there have been NFL games on four of the last five days. Who doesn't like that?