What happened to Tom Ridge?

[underpants]

He actually disappeared and no one does that in public life especially in the highly lucrative money world of Republicanism.

He was perfect for their template: a GUY guy as Chris Mathews would say, a Veteran, as far as the media is concerned he would take a battleground state off the map (with their help), passable haircut, good in a suit, nice family.

But *poof* he was gone.

Did he get what they were about to do? Take the crushing defeat of 2006 and turn it into an "uprising" of their own making, an "anti-incumbent movement" made out of thin air?

Was he spooked? Was he NOT a Southern Republican in the party of the South?

What happened to that guy?

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. I heard he's the official orange tint consultant for John Boehner

but that may be an urban myth.

[arcane1]

2. For some reason...

I have this pseudo-memory that he put out a book, or something, that seemed to imply that he was distancing himself from these fools.

[notadmblnd]

3. Went into the oil/gas business.

Ridge Appointed as an "Adviser" for the Marcellus Shale Coalition

On July 30, 2010, Ridge was named as an "adviser" to the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), and offered $900,000 per year to him and his consulting groups, Ridge Global and Ridge Policy Group in compensation for their "services." Ridge Global will earn $50,000 a month and the Ridge Policy Group will get $25,000 a month, each for 12 months. It is certain that these services will include helping the MSC in its public relations disinformation campaign in the push to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region, located in the Northeastern corridor of the U.S.
http://www.prwatch.org/node/9321

[Canuckistanian]

10. Ah, he's become a Fracker

Just like his mother expected him to be.

[femmocrat]

4. He's busy making a killing while selling out his fellow Pennsylvanians to the gas drillers.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/07/former_gov_tom_ridge_to_promot.html

[howaboutme]

5. You could say

he destroyed PA with his huge pension increase for public workers at the peak of the stock market bubble (around 2001) that like other states nearly bankrupted PA. He also pushed for deregulation of electric utilities that has increased electric costs by 30-40%.

Basically Ridge was a corrupt fool and a shill for big business and a deal maker for public workers and legislators that ended up putting an overpowering massive burden on PA taxpayers.

And to add on edit that he has become a $1 million lobbyist for the gas drillers in PA that wish to pillage the state without being charged a dime for their environmental costs.

[deminks]

6. He's taken up a job defending fracking.

http://weeklypress.com/former-governor-tom-ridge-signs-lucrative-marcellus-contract-p2080-1.htm

The natural gas companies are throwing money around. So, here comes Tommy. He did such a great job with the scary color threat level bullshit codes.

[Anakin Skywalker]

7. He Stuck His Head So Far Up His Corporate Master's @$$ He Disappeared!

[AlinPA]

8. He's here in PA working for the Marcellus gas drilling polluters claiming there is no problem

with water involved in the fracking process.

[soleft]

9. Rachel Maddow's interview did him in

[Mnpaul]

11. He ratted out the Republicans

He admitted that they raised terror alerts for political purposes and political purposes alone.