U.S. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and Charles Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, decide state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. should run against Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum next year. Casey mulls it over.

NAACP President J. Whyatt Mondesire says he's considering a run against U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah because, Mondesire claims, Fattah is "screwing around with the 2007 mayor's race." Mondesire is angered by what he called the "cabal" of Mayor John Street's top aides, George Burrell and Shawn Fordham, and their efforts to seat Fattah in the mayor's office in 2007 so that Street could run for the open congressional seat in 2008.

City Councilman Michael Nutter begins the first drafts of his smoking ban. Surprisingly, he has the mayor's support.

City Controller Jonathan Saidel announces he won't seek re-election. Democrats trolling for his seat include John Braxton and state Rep. Alan Butkovitz. Republican blast-from-Rizzo-days-past Hillel Levinson will also run.

Democrat Seth Williams announces he'll square off against District Attorney Lynne Abraham.

It's open season for local seats on the bench. As many as 35 lawyers are running for local judicial openings. Unethical ward leaders line up with their hands out. Andrew Chirls, the Philadelphia Bar Association chancellor, finds it "challenging" to work with Democratic Committee Chairman Bob Brady on creating a unified endorsement.

Karen Simmons, legal counsel to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson — and the one who told her boss that Street's office was bugged — resigns to run for a Municipal Court judgeship.

Gov. Ed Rendell pushes Casey to run against Santorum and knocks out potential primary competitors Barbara Hafer and Joe Hoeffel.

Ellen Green-Ceisler resigns as director of the Philadelphia Police Department's Office of Integrity and Accountability to run for Common Pleas Court judge. "Working here for over seven years is enough," she said.

Republicans start the buzz that former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton and retired Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann will give Rendell a run for his money in next year's gubernatorial race.

After more than a decade, the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP wants to drop the lawsuit that resulted in the creation of the Integrity and Accountability Office, an independent police watchdog.

The Philadelphia Gaming Advisory Task Force holds public hearings on gaming and residents are surprised to learn that gambling already passed the state House and Senate in July 2004.

Former City Treasurer Corey Kemp is sentenced to 10 years in the federal pen after being convicted in May for conspiracy to commit honest-services fraud, extortion and filing false tax returns.

The Live 8 Concert raises awareness for world-debt forgiveness on the Parkway.

Elton John performs at a concert on the Parkway on July 4. He is the star guest at a gala AIDS fundraiser that, although falling short of its $2 million goal, raises $1.1 million.

Potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears at the annual conference of National Council of La Raza, the largest and oldest Latino national advocacy group.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court approves statewide gaming. Anti-gaming groups file a new lawsuit claiming the state had exceeded its authority in approving gaming — and lose.

Casey and Santorum start campaigning. Santorum takes off on a national tour to hawk his book, It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good.

Street's friend, Muslim Cleric Shamsud-din Ali, is sentenced to seven years and three months for racketeering.

LibertyPA, a new statewide political PAC comprised primarily of gays and lesbians, raises big bucks to help re-elect Rendell and oust Santorum.

City Councilman Rick Mariano strolls up to the top of City Hall for some me-time before he is indicted a week later on 26 counts of bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and fraud.

Democrats win locally. Abraham is re-elected. Butkovitz is elected city controller and all the Democratic judicial candidates secure a bench seat. Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro loses retention because voters are mad about House members voting themselves a pay raise.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Baldwin is nominated by Rendell to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court until the next election, making her the second black woman to sit on the bench in the history of the court.

Street friend and old law partner, Len Ross, pleads guilty to using his position as head of a Penn's Landing redevelopment committee to line his pockets and shake down developers for Street campaign contributions.