Those who have seen the movie “State of Play” know there there’s a neat little quirk for Delaware County residents tucked into the plot.

Ben Affleck’s character is a congressman who wants to put a big-time defense and security conglomerate on the hot seat through congressional hearings. That move is derailed when a young aide – who he just happens to be having an affair with – turns up dead. At first it’s considered suicide, then questions arise, with most fingers being pointed at the defense firm.

Affleck’s congressman represents the 7th District from Pennsylvania. No kidding. Yes, the Weldon overtones strike me as more than a coincidence.

It turns out the seat is once again in a “state of play.” As in up for grabs. Yep, it’s the very same seat that former U.S. Attorney and Delco D.A. Pat Meehan formally announced he would seek yesterday.

It didn’t exactly come as a surprise. Meehan has been making noises for months now. First he considered a run for governor. He got out of that race and left Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach and state Attorney General Tom Corbett to slug it out for the GOP gubernatorial nod.
Corbett made his candidacy official yesterday.

In the meantime, it looks like clear sailing for Meehan to snag the Republican nod for the 7th District congressional race.

It took 20 years for county Democrats to finally unseat longtime Republican incumbent Weldon. The increasing emphasis Weldon placed on foreign relations rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, including some powerful folks in his own party. It’s hard not to snicker while watching the “State of Play” and not think the choice of Weldon’t seat is more than just somebody’s inside joke.

And it’s just as hard to believe that after trying to win the seat for two decades, Democrats now are staring at the very real possibility of it returning to the GOP’s hands.

That’s because Joe Sestak, who gave Weldon his walking papers, helped by a federal investigation into the congressman that included raids on the homes of Weldon allies just a few weeks before the election but has yet to result in anyone being charged, is throwing away the seat.

Sestak has his eyes on a bigger prize. He’s decided to try his fate tilting at windmills. He will challenge Sen. Arlen Specter, a newly minted Democrat, for the Senate nod in 2010. Saying it’s an uphill fight is like saying Michael Vick is real popular at the SPCA.

Not only are Delco Dems facing the possibility of seeing their prize possession return to Republican hands, it could cost them a valuable state House seat in the process.

It looks like state Rep. Bryan Lentz, D-161, will take up the Democratic cause vs. Meehan. Lentz is a good guy, but he will be a decided underdog against Meehan, who has much wider name recognition across the district.

And just as it took forever for Dems to oust Weldon, the same could be said for their efforts to topple former longtime GOP state Rep. Tom Gannon. He held the 161st state House seat seemingly forever. Now that seat also could head back into the GOP fold as Lentz looks to tangle with Meehan.

Of course, it’s still early. There is a chance that Sestak and Lentz could both win.

But I wouldn’t bet the House on it. Either the U.S. House of Representatives, or the Pa. House for that matter.