Photo: U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (left) tours the continuous annealing line at U.S. Steel's Irvin Plant with Mon Valley Works General Manager Scott Buckiso. Bob Donaldson/PG.

Pat Toomey was back in Pittsburgh today to somehow win a "Legislative Excellence" award from the National Association of Manufacturers, during a ceremony at the U.S. Steel Irvin plant in West Mifflin.

Legislators who vote with at least 70% of NAM positions get the award and Toomey scored 82% in the 112th Congress, only voting against the group's preferred position four times. (Toomey's differences were on the debt limit extension in 2011, a job-training/manufacturer assistance trade adjustment assistance extension act of 2011 and two measures regarding authorization of the export-import bank -- NAM's full scorecard for the House and Senate is here.)

Every Republican member of the Senate except moderate Olympia Snowe scored at least 70% from NAM last session, and Toomey won the same accolades from the group in all three of his pre-Senate congressional terms. There was no talk of politics at the Monday event -- the award is "in no way political in any sense of the word," said US Steel GM for public affairs Chris Masciantonio, "it's simply an opportunity to say thank you" -- but with the shared wavelengths in the room, there didn't have to be.

The senator toured the giant and gleaming continuous annealing line at the plant (scene last year of an energy speech and commercial shoot by then-presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry of Texas), then accepted a heavy glass award from the manufacturing lobby during a short ceremony in a plant cafeteria.

"A big part of what I try to do is remind my colleagues in Washington that the only people who actually create wealth and opportunity and jobs and a growing economy are the people who live all across America making things and providing services," Toomey said. "Washington spending doesn't lift people out of poverty, doesn't create net new jobs, doesn't raise the standard of living. But making steel does, growing crops does, building new products and services -- those things do, they enrich all of all lives and create more opportunities for all of us."

He went on to criticize a scrapped Department of Energy proposal to loan $730 million to a foreign steel manufacturer (to expand a facility in Dearborn, Mich.), and EPA regulations that unnecessarily hamper industry in the good name of protecting the environment. "Sometimes they get a little bit unreasonable and they ask productive sectors of our economy to go to places that technology doesn't quite allow yet."

Finally, he praised growth in manufacturing boosted by low-cost natural gas, much of it situated in Western Pennsylvania. "This is a huge opportunity for our whole economy. . . US Steel and other Pennsylvania manufacturers have a competitive advantage in this respect over anyone anywhere in the world. And that's a big deal. We have to make sure that continues to flourish."

Franco Dok Harris has announced his candidacy Monday for the Democratic nomination for the city council seat held by R. Daniel Lavelle.

Mr. Harris, 33, ran for mayor as an independent in 2009, finishing second to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

"I will bring my experience as an attorney and entrepreneur to city council to implement good policy and good government,'' the Downtown resident said in a statement announcing his bid.  "We all love our hometown, and we know it offers the best in education, culture, sports, and people.  My goal is to make sure that it offers the best in local government as well.''

District 6 extends from the Hill District through Downtown and into the North Side.  Mr. Lavelle won the seat in 2009, ousting then incumbent Tonya Payne.

Mr. Harris is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh law school and Carnegie-Mellon's Tepper School of Business.  Mr. Lavelle did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the race.

"I did a lot of soul-searching in the last two years and I just decided that my best opportunity to serve the city was on council,'' Mr. Harris said Monday.  "Having done the mayor's race, this is going to be a much mo0re intimate race.  I'm looking forward to building those personal relationships that are going to carry this thing through.''

Mr. Harris  said he did not plan to seek the Democratic Party endorsement for the seat.  He faulted the incumbent for not projecting a higher profile on council.

"Mr. Lavelle, I would say, is a very quiet councilman,'' he said.  "I havenet seen him produce much legislation or policy.  ... Ther is a time to be quiet, but there is also a time to shout and to lead, and I havenet seen that.

Good morning.

US Sen. Pat Toomey is in town today to an award from the National Association of Manufacturing. More on that later.

Yesterday, Pittsburgh's three (Democratic) mayoral hopefuls squared off in their first forum of the campaign. Jim O'Toole was there:

Some of the sharpest exchanges in a generally civil forum came as the candidates discussed controversies involving the police. City Councilman Bill Peduto charged that recent incidents, including the failed follow-through on a 911 call that preceded the shooting death of Ka'Sandra Wade.

"It all starts at the top, whatever organization you're in; you need strong leadership," Mr. Peduto said.

"What the people of the city demand and what they want out of this government, is that the leader of this government hold people to a higher standard," city Controller Michael Lamb said in one of several points in which he underlined his contention that expectations for city government's performance had eroded under this administration.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl defended the overall performance of police officers, noting that the city's crime rate had fallen by 25 percent during his tenure. Alluding to a federal grand jury investigation of a police communications contract that has swirled around associates of police Chief Nate Harper, Mr. Ravenstahl said, "Chief Harper has been a great leader. I hope that what he is telling me is true. I have no reason to think otherwise. ... I don't believe there is a lack of leadership there."

The next milestone in the race comes Thursday when year-end finance reports are due.

Andrew McGill has the story on plans to refurbish the county courthouse (above):

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the opening of the courthouse, the first building of note on Grant Street and still dominant among today's steel-and-glass towers.

County officials want to make sure it can still hold its own.

At last Tuesday night's county council meeting, Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced a plan to renovate and restore the courthouse and adjoining former jail, a top-to-bottom task that likely will take years. Although there's no firm plan yet, Mr. Fitzgerald plans to ask for assistance from outside donors and take advice from local experts.

So you think you want to be mayor, and deal with all the headaches (looking at you, Chief Harper) that comes with it?

The P-G's photo archives blog The Digs has a fun series of old photos of Tom Murphy that includes the one of above of his days in the legislature before his first successful mayoral run in 1993.