Former House Speaker DeWeese Bids Farewell To Colleagues
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa (CBS) -- A former state House speaker who will be sentenced later this month for his conviction on public corruption charges gave his farewell address to colleagues on Tuesday.
A flamboyant orator, Democrat William DeWeese, who no longer serves in leadership, but has remained a House member, began his valedictory on the House floor by invoking the thoughts of 17th century British author Samuel Johnson.
"Nothing – nothing – so concentrates the brain as the certain knowledge that one will be hanged within in a fortnight."
DeWeese made no direct reference to his February conviction, and after Wednesday, the House will not be in session until after he is due to be sentenced.
DeWeese, however, did acknowledge that "mistakes are made"…
"I'm not as humble as I want to be," he said. "But I'm a lot more humble than I used to be."
Apparently not humble enough, however, to remove his name from the ballot in the primary to be held on the 24th of April, the same day he is to be sentenced.
