It matters not whether you admire Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell, or consider him a Philadelphia gasbag. When he sits before the Erie Times-News Editorial Board, it's always a treat for the newspaper's editors and reporters. That's because the naturally ebullient Rendell so enjoys the give-and-take with reporters. Wednesday's meeting in Erie was typical for the second-term Democratic governor.

Rendell spent the first 40 minutes of the 65-minute meeting talking about the details of his 2008 state budget plan, which includes plenty of spending on education, health care, infrastructure and various projects he believes would give Pennsylvania's economy a boost. During the last 25 minutes, he answered 17 questions on topics ranging from politics to gambling casinos to energy to smoking.

Rendell seems like a natural who genuinely enjoys his public. He admitted, "The media treats me fairly," so he seldom ducks a question.

On politics, he's an avowed supporter of Hillary Clinton, but is enough of a realist to allow that, "If Obama wins the nomination, I'll be for him all the way." He went on at length, however, complaining about the pounding he claims Clinton has taken from the national media. "While at the same time nobody's laid a glove on Obama. Of course, that will change the minute he gets the nomination," the governor said.

A skilled politician, Rendell threw enough jabs at Obama to let you know how he feels about Clinton. "In my 31 years in politics, she's by far the best prepared candidate I've seen for the White House," he said, adding, "She's far better prepared than her husband was in 1992. It's not even close."

Rendell always does his homework and was well-versed on topics of local concern in northwestern Pennsylvania. He did slip once when he mentioned "your river downtown." There's no river in this city, but we do have a Great Lake just north of town."

It's been a concern to some in this region in recent days that Ohio might take a second look at gambling. Because so much business at Presque Isle Downs & Casino is provided by our Ohio neighbors to the west, any pro-gambling decision by Buckeye State lawmakers could deal Erie's casino a major financial blow.

"Not gonna happen," Rendell said flatly. "Ohio's governor, Ted Strickland, is a former minister, which means you should have at least 7 more years of peace until somebody makes a serious move to pass gambling legislation."

Talking about Tullio Arena, Erie's 25-year-old civic arena, which needs to be updated, Rendell explained how local officials could apply for state funds. As he described the process, you couldn't help but wonder why Erie's leaders do not appear to have taken serious action on this issue. Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia, always seems to have a sympathetic ear for the needs of urban centers.

By the time he left for Pittsburgh, Rendell had shared enough information to fill a reporter's notebook. As I say, whether you agree with his policies or not, he's the ideal antidote for a slow news day in Erie.

-- Kevin Cuneo