There is a Difference Between a Conservative and a Disloyal Democrat

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is the latter.

As a result of being dissed by a fellow Democrat during Kamala Harris' Veepstakes in 2024, he pressured people to endorse his Republican opponent.

No.  Just no.  If he wants to die on John Fetterman's hill, he dies on John Fetterman's hill.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro secretly helped a Republican state treasurer's 2024 reelection bid after the official's Democratic opponent had criticized Shapiro as a potential VP pick, a close Shapiro ally said last week.

• Bob Brooks, a Shapiro-backed candidate for the U.S. House, made the surprising comment Wednesday to a small group of Democratic college students. Axios obtained a recording of his remarks, which also were confirmed by a person at the meeting.

Why it matters: Helping a Republican over a Democrat — especially in response to personal criticism — could become a liability if Shapiro runs for president in 2028, as many expect.

• It also could feed the idea — held even by some Shapiro supporters — that he can be vindictive, take critiques too personally and be willing to push aside allies to get ahead.

Zoom in: Brooks' comments referred to summer 2024, when Shapiro was being vetted by Kamala Harris' team as her possible running mate.

• The Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania treasurer at the time, Erin McClelland, had publicly questioned whether Shapiro could be a subordinate to a female president.

Brooks, who's also the president of Pennsylvania's firefighters union, told students at Lehigh University last week that Shapiro had asked his union to back Republican Stacy Garrity over McClelland in the 2024 state treasurer's race.

• "That was a request, ironically, from Gov. Josh Shapiro because Erin McClelland was running against her," Brooks told the students.
• Brooks added: "Josh Shapiro had requested because Stacy, er, Erin McClelland came out hard about something on Josh Shapiro, and really, the Democratic Party as a whole turned on Erin McClelland. And he said, 'I would like you guys to endorse Stacy Garrity.'"
• Brooks mentioned Shapiro's move after a person at the Lehigh gathering asked Brooks why his union had backed Garrity in 2024.

I get that politics ain't beanbag, but this is over the line.

This isn't like endorsing a candidate in the primary.