It could have been a lot uglier.

The Legislature and Gov. Ed Rendell wrapped up budget negotiations last week and headed into their two-and-a-half-month summer break having put a $28.2 billion spending plan in place. By doing so, they avoided a royal political mess.

Remember last month when Republican senators passed a budget plan that gutted Rendell's proposed increase in education subsidies? It's clear now that what the GOP objected to was not Rendell's proposed 6 percent education increase but the disproportionate amount that would have gone to Philadelphia.

The GOP's move took the focus off the debate to provide state-sponsored health care to 300,000 Pennsylvanians and forced Rendell to fight on the education front, delaying the health care battle until September.

Rendell proved last year that he is more than willing to fortify the trenches and fight for every single program he loves. That year, he forced a lengthy delay in passing the budget and caused a one-day furlough of state employees.

So why not this year? Why put off health care — perhaps the highest priority element of Rendell's second-term agenda — and let Philadelphia education subsidies slide away?

The answer in part: presidential politics. With Pennsylvania's key standing in the electoral college, and moderate voters essential to winning, Democrats needed to avoid a brawl.

Let's assume a repeat of last year's budget negotiations. In that case, the budget wouldn't have been signed into law until July 17, after a furlough of 24,000 government employees and a highly publicized spat between GOP legislators and Rendell.

Rendell had much more to lose from such a scenario in 2008 than he did in 2007. That's because the National Governors Association is convening its centennial celebration in Philadelphia starting Friday.

Rendell serves as vice chair of the association, and having the influential group's centennial celebration in his home state — in a presidential election year, no less — is a very big deal.

Every governor who's a potential vice president will be there, including the association's chairman, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican. Don't be surprised if you see Obama and McCain address this group.

The last thing a host governor would want during such an event is a government shutdown and a stalemate with his political rivals.

Rendell, by being willing to compromise and delay the health care battle by several months, avoided such a scenario.

Quotes of the week
"These deputies have too much power. They can arrest anyone, anywhere, at any time, and they're not professionals. They're cowboys with guns."
— State Sen. Gibson E. Armstrong, about a proposal to strip state wildlife conservation deputies of their powers. Armstrong made the proposal one day after his son pleaded guilty to charges related to an incident involving a deputy in York County last year.

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"Nothing is sensitive about it, but it's a process. I've signed off on it; it's now subject to legislative debate. I don't want to color that debate in any way."
— Gov. Ed Rendell, speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, about why his office refused to release details about the budget agreement reached between him and leaders in the Legislature.

E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com