A somewhat interesting bit of news in Pennsylvania:

Former Fox29 news anchor Dawn Stensland is thinking about running as a Republican for the Seventh District U.S. House seat in suburban Philadelphia, a move that would upset party leaders’ efforts to clear the primary field for Pat Meehan. She’s well-known from her TV career and as the wife of Larry Mendte, a former anchor for CBS3, who was fired and pleaded guilty to federal wiretapping charges after hacking into the e-mails of his coanchor, Alycia Lane.

A more interesting bit of news in that same district: If the NRCC is accurate, Pat Meehan, former U.S. Attorney, raised an astonishing $580,000 in the fourth quarter of 2009, and raised $790,000 total in a little over three months.

An even more interesting bit of news elsewhere in Pennsylvania: There might be another former U.S. Attorney running for the House in the Keystone State:

Despite being mostly quiet about her intentions since resigning as U.S. Attorney, Republican Mary Beth Buchanan is increasingly likely to challenge Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) this year, according to a party insider who has spoken to her.

I’m reminded of something a smart GOP consultant told me last year. State attorneys general, and by extension, retired U.S. Attorneys tend to make good candidates. Instead of sitting in state legislatures casting votes that can be used against them by the opposition, they spend their time locking up bad guys and directing initiatives against universally hated foes like carjackers, child pornographers, gangs, frauds and scams, etc. They tend to have a lot of material to say to voters, “Here’s why I am a good guy, working to protect you,” compared to your average legislator . . .