It took five years to sink into his thick skull, but lame-duck Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has finally admitted he screwed up in supporting the infamous middle-of-the-night pay raise for lawmakers and other politicians in 2005.

From a story by Brad Bumsted in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Gov. Ed Rendell said today his one regret during his eight-year tenure was that he agreed to sign the 2005 legislative pay raise, which hiked lawmakers' pay by 16 to 34 percent.

He said he agreed to sign it after opposing it a year before because he was told by legislative leaders he'd get nothing on his agenda approved during his remaining years in office.

"The pay raise and the way it was structured was untenable," Rendell said at a news conference to talk about his tenure as governor. He leaves office Jan. 18 when Republican Gov.-elect Tom Corbett is sworn in. Rendell was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.

Most of the legislative leaders who hatched the pay raise scheme have been ousted or forced into early retirement in the past five years. The list includes John Perzel, Chip Brightbill, Robert Jubelirer, Mike Veon and Vince Fumo.

Also gone is former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph Cappy, who also pushed for the pay raise. Cappy retired in 2007 instead of facing the voters in a retention election. The only person who escaped the wrath of voters was "Teflon" Ed Rendell.

Read the full story, "Rendell: Pay raise for lawmakers was bad idea," at the newspaper's website.