Remember Old Pat Toomey, that rock-ribbed Republican, former president of the Club for Growth, ideological darling of the Tea Party? Well, check the basement for pods, and meet New Pat Toomey, pragmatist extraordinaire, an increasingly rare and increasingly influential Washington lawmaker with an emerging national reputation for building bipartisan consensus, even on polarizing issues.

This week, to the dismay of the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment aficionados everywhere, Pennsylvania's junior U.S.senator reached across the aisle to Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to craft a compromise amendment that would expand background checks for firearms buyers. Before that, Toomey's heroic (albeit ultimately unsuccessful) efforts in late 2011 to strike a compromise agreement on a federal budget drew bipartisan praise. Suddenly Toomey is in the spotlight as The Voice of Reason. Who knew?

This week's edition of We Can't Make This Up is a little ditty about that bastion of fiscal responsibility, Congress, and its dealings with the U.S. Postal Service. Seven years ago, Congress imposed upon the USPS a requirement that it pay into future retiree health benefits. Of the postal service's $16 billion deficit last year, $11.1 billion was attributed to the benefits measure (a requirement not imposed, by the way, on any other agency). Cutting Saturday mail delivery would help ease the losses, USPS says, but nooooo, Congress has refused to drop its earlier imposed ban on five-day delivery.

So, let's review: Congress mandates a measure that greatly increases USPS' expenses, expects USPS to pay for itself, and blocks USPS from taking advantage of perhaps its biggest cost-saving opportunity, the elimination of Saturday mail delivery. Thinking - what? - that the voters back home cannot tolerate waiting until Monday to get the bills and coupons that would have landed in their mailboxes on Saturday? It's enough to make anyone go postal.

Talk about an incredible "teachable moment." A small cadre of activists concerned about the stress that tests cause for students today are advocating that parents take advantage of "opt out" provisions to pull their kids out of PSSA (Pennsylvania State System of Assessment) exams. Turns out that pretty much the only exemption is for religious reasons. "Okay, kids. Get out your Bibles and look for any verse that ixnays high stakes testing. No, no, no: the part about Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac won't help ..." Notwithstanding, the issue was fueled this week when a Post-Gazette op-ed article encouraging parents to opt out of the testing went viral.

Meanwhile, a group of hardy citizens will be up and at 'em in Mount Gretna at 8 a.m. tomorrow to debate the merits of Common Core Standards, an effort to ensure that students are adequately prepared for The Real World by the time they graduate from high school. Unlike the federal initiative that brought us the PSSAs, Common Core Standards is a state-led initiative coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The debate is sponsored by the Citizen's Caucus, a nonpartisan public policy group.

Speaking of the U.S. Mail, the Commonwealth received a postcard from Governor Corbett, on his Latin American trade mission, that read, "Having a wonderful time, wish you were here. P.S. Sending back an international manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders to Chambersburg with 74 jobs and $10 million in capital investment."

Back on the home front, an administration official said the federal government appears to be flexible on Medicaid alterations requested by Governor Corbett. Acting Department of Public Welfare Secretary Beverly Mackereth would not speculate on the likelihood of Corbett playing ball on Medicaid expansion, however.

Republican and Democrat state senators announced a bipartisan effort to tighten disclosure requirements on gifts to legislators. Senators John Eichelberger and Mike Stack (R and D, respectively) say they want to encourage more objective decision making on the part of elected officials.

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz officially announced she will enter the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. For those keeping score at home, that's four Democrats who have made it official, while several dozen others are either mulling it over or are subjects of speculation.

In transportation funding crisis news, advocates for a comprehensive solution eagerly await the introduction of a funding proposal next week from Sen. John Rafferty, majority chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. The advocates are taking some comfort in the recent, steady drop in gasoline prices, which are now 42 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The easing of gas prices could make a transportation funding solution more palatable to the public and elected officials.

Then there's the liquor privatization crisis. Bucks County Republican State Sen. Chuck McIlhinney says he'll convene hearings beginning on April 30 and running into June. The tea leaves suggest that the Senate plan will focus on enhancing consumer convenience, but stop short of privatization. This just in - and we know you will be shocked by this news - Target and Wal-Mart are all gung-ho about the opportunity to sell alcohol in their PA stores.  

Have a great week!