A spot airing today on the city of Pittsburgh cable TV channel -- number 13 on your urban dial -- raised a few eyebrows in city government today.

The segment showed a series of interviews of people milling about the Carnegie Music Hall after Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's inauguration. Those interviewed include Judy O'Connor, widow of the late Mayor Bob; state Sen. Jim Ferlo; city Councilmen Jim Motznik and Jeff Koch; and many others, telling the camera how much they like the just-sworn-in mayor and wishing him well.

Several expressed for the camera their hope that he has not just a great two-year term, but a four-year term to follow. A few went a good bit further, like Gloria Sheffield, a Democratic Committee member from Manchester. "I am sure you will do a good job as you have been doing for the past couple of years since Bob O'Connor died," she told the camera. "I wish you many, many more years as mayor, and hopefully we will help you get in when these two years are up."

The interviews were shot by a city camera crew, air on a city channel and feature people endorsing the incumbent. A problem?

"This is how it's been done for every mayor for the history of time," said mayoral spokeswoman Alecia Sirk. "I checked with the Law Department, and it's fine."

She said the city cable crew didn't go seeking endorsements. Rather, a film crew "said to people, 'Do you have a message you want to give to the mayor?' ... And people just said whatever they wanted to say."

Councilman William Peduto, a sometime mayoral rival, sounded as if his mind was blown by the very audacity of the spot.

"When you talk to political supporters about a political race, that is not appropriate for a government information channel," he said. "That's not why we have a city information channel. We have it to provide information and transparency, period. ... For the life of me, I can't figure out who advises Luke on these matters."

After receiving more than one media inquiry, the city pulled down the last 15 minutes or so of the one-hour spot on the inauguration. They promptly started reviewing that portion, and "we've pulled everything out of there that says, 'We hope you win another term for four more years,'" Ms. Sirk said. "Once it's reedited, it will run as well-wishes only."

Also left in the spot are some of the frequent uses of the word "Godspeed," which Ms. Sirk said she didn't quite understand in the context of a mayoral term, rather than a marathon , but what the heck?

If Chris Voccio wins a seat in the state House, don't expect any scathing editorials about him in The Pennsylvania Republican.

That's because Mr. Voccio, 40, is publisher of the conservative monthly newspaper launched in December.

Yesterday he announced plans to run for the House seat now held by state Rep. Tom Yewcic, a Democrat retiring in December.

"It's important to send newcomers to Harrisburg, not career politicians," said Mr. Voccio, former publisher of The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown and Johnstown Magazine.

"We can't send the governor more allies who will, even if unwittingly, help him in his anti-gun efforts and his hostility toward the pro-life position," he said.

Win or lose, he plans to continue as publisher of The Pennsylvania Republican.

So much for objective journalism.

Costly calendars

Many visitors to the state Capitol, as well as residents around the state, like to receive a free Capitol Calendar from their state legislator.

But the calendars do come at a cost to taxpayers, the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative think tank in Harrisburg, said today.

Foundation President Matthew Brouillette and staffer Nathan Benefield asked the chief clerks of the House and Senate how much it costs to print the calendars.

For the House, which has 203 members, 240,000 calendars were printed at a cost to the taxpayers of $90,000. For the Senate, which has 50 members, 56,500 calendars were printed, costing $41,500.

Most senators got 1,000 calendars each, except for two new, conservative GOP senators, who are trying to cut state spending. John Eichelberger of Blair County didn't want any and Mike Folmer of Lebanon got only 500. House officials didn't say how many calenders each member got.

Many of the calendars are mailed by legislators to constituents. Mr. Benefield estimated that if 200,000 of the 296,500 calendars were mailed, the postage cost (also paid by taxpayers) was $371,500.

More retirees

Two more legislators have decided not to seek re-election this year. Reps. Bob Bastian, D-Somerset, and Ron Raymond, R-Delaware, have decided that 2008 will be their final year in the Legislature.

Mr. Bastian has an announcement on his Web site and there's an article about Mr Raymond in a Delaware County newspaper.

That makes 12 incumbents in the House who are leaving the Harrisburg political grind, plus four senators who are retiring. In addition, two House members are hoping to leave the House and win a seat in the Senate in November.

In 2006, in the wake of the public anger over the legislative pay raise, 31 incumbents packed it in. In addition, 24 incumbents lost their bids for re-election, making a total turnover of 55.

The number of incumbents deciding not to seek re-election this year is about average for most election cycles, political observers said.

Cautious prediction

On another note, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pronounced himself "cautiously optimistic" about the Steelers' chances against the Jacksonville Jaguars tomorrow night.

That's right -- "cautiously."

"The reality is, the last game versus Jacksonville wasn't what we would have liked it to be," he said. "We're an underdog at home, and that's not usually the case in Pittsburgh ... Nobody's giving us a chance now, and hopefully we're going to prove them all wrong again as we did a few years ago.

"I'm going to say, 23-20, Steelers," he said when pressed for a prediction.

At least there's no silly bet with Jacksonville's mayor.

No prediction here

And for you true political junkies Jonesing for an update on the race for Pittsburgh City Council president: Suffice it to say that anything we write now will be obsolete by the time you read it, no matter when that is.

Current President Doug Shields still wants it. Third-time contender Jim Motznik still seems short of the needed votes. A slew of people seem to be in flux from one to the other. Nobody in the know is counting out Tonya Payne, Dan Deasy, Darlene Harris or even newcomer Patrick Dowd.

The vote is set for Monday, just after Mr. Dowd, the Rev. Ricky Burgess and Bruce Kraus are sworn in.

"These things always happen at the last minute," said Mr. Ravenstahl, sagely. "I became the council president myself at the last minute as the result of a compromise ... I look forward to working with the president, and I think it's important to have a good relationship in order to move the policy and agenda items forward that we need to."

Translation: please not Mr. Shields or Bill Peduto.