Hugs for DeWeese, post-sentence

Amid all of the primary battles last night, we failed to note Bill DeWeese's emotional rollercoaster yesterday, when he was sentenced to at least two-and-a-half years in state prison -- and again won the Democratic nomination for his House seat.

He sent a letter on Monday resigning his 35-year position effective at noon on Tuesday, was sentenced in Dauphin County court several hours later, and hit the Turnpike back to Greene County.

There, he did what he always does on election night -- he went to Rohanna's restaurant, teary-eyed, and his fervent supporters gave him the roaring welcome that he's grown accustom to.

While he sat awaiting his fate and trekking back to the voters who sent him to Harrisburg term after term, unofficial results show that 3,054 Democrats cast a ballot for him on Tuesday. The two Republican vying for the GOP nomination in the 50th House District only received a combined 2,240 votes. 

A scattering of DeWeese critics could be found at the polls in his hometown of Waynesburg, but the supporters there were undeterred, reports the intrepid Liz Navratil: 

After DeWeese joined supporters at Rohanna's Tuesday night, his first campaign manager, Rudy Marisa, 78, looked on sadly. Moments before, he had been reflecting upon how DeWeese had built his first campaign by visiting people in their homes and at community meetings, gaining popularity as people discovered his inviting personality.

"In his mind, I think he's truthful," Mr. Marisa said, but "I think the judge and his representatives did what they needed to do."

Still, he added, "It's like Greene County lost an arm."

Here's one extra Greene County voter, whose comments unfortunately ended up on the cutting-room floor last night: