By virtue of his service on the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on International Relations, former Congressman Joe Hoeffel no doubt acquired knowledge and contacts that will be valuable in his new position in Pennsylvania government.

Gov. Ed Rendell has appointed Hoeffel to the $104,431-a-year job as deputy secretary for international business in the Department of Community and Economic Development. His duties will include trying to persuade foreign companies to open up branches in the Keystone State and assist state companies in finding new markets for their products overseas.

But whether Rendell selected the most qualified person available for the job will always be debated because of suspicions revolving around the appointment. Immediately after the Hoeffel appointment was announced, the allegation emanating from many fronts was that the appointment was a payback for Hoeffel's decision to withdraw from this year's lieutenant governor race.

The suspicions voiced are reasonable, considering the usual course of politics in this state.

In fact, Hoeffel did meet privately with Rendell in the aftermath of announcing his candidacy and before he withdrew. During that meeting, Rendell let it be known that he would back the re-election candidacy of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, a Pittsburgh native and popular Western Pennsylvania political figure, to strengthen his own Western Pennsylvania prospects in the November gubernatorial race. Hoeffel is from Montgomery County.

Rendell understands the importance of having his re-election ticket balanced from a geographical perspective. Baker Knoll provides that balance.

Despite Hoeffel's made-in-Congress international experience and his statement that his quick withdrawal resulted simply from the realization that he probably couldn't defeat the lieutenant governor in the May balloting without Rendell's blessing, the suspicion will continue that the quick exit resulted from a hard-to-resist job offer by the state's chief executive if he agreed to leave the race.

Not only will the job give Hoeffel a well-paying employment opportunity for now; it also will keep Hoeffel in the circle of politics, perhaps positioning him for seeking some elected office in the future. Perhaps the governorship?

By agreeing to accept the DCED position, Hoeffel left no doubt that he and politics have not parted ways, despite his unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Arlen Specter.

Hoeffel did not seek re-election to his congressional seat in 2004, so he could try to oust Specter.

It is to be hoped that Hoeffel will achieve great successes in terms of improving the state's business climate. However, comments like those of William J. Green, a Republican political consultant from Pittsburgh, cannot be dismissed simply on the basis of politics or "sour grapes."

"I'm sure there was no other possible candidate for this position with Community Development," said Green, with tongue in cheek. "I'm sure the governor searched high and low all over the commonwealth for someone to fill this job, and Joe Hoeffel just looked like the perfect candidate."

Good or bad, this appointment is destined to be a distraction amid Rendell's efforts to highlight what he regards as the successes of his current term of office.