The Next Mayor

Whatever your opinion of Mumia Abu-Jamal, every Philadelphian knows: He will not go away. Ever. He haunts this town's news.

Why should the race for mayor be any different?

Catherine Lucey reports in today's Daily News that the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police has taken a strong stand against mayoral candidate and Congressman Chaka Fattah, because Fattah has publicly said that Abu-Jamal deserves a new trial.

“I would go as far as to say we will work against his campaign," FOP president Bobby Eddis said.

The FOP has 14,000 members. Eddis also said he would write other unions "explaining the significance" of the issue.

Fattah, to his credit, stuck to his stand.

“I fully respect and understand the position of the FOP,” he said in the story. “As a congressman or as a future mayor, I will continue to work hand in hand with the FOP." He added, "Sometimes standing up for constitutional rights is unpopular. But I swore an oath to uphold constitutional rights and it’s my duty to do that even when it’s unpopular.”

Catherine also interviewed the other Would-Be Mayors on the subject. None of them have drawn the same ire, but they've all got their opinions. Except Brady, who couldn't be reached for comment.

In case you missed it commenter Rick made this empassioned plea that we as a city move past racial divisions when making the decision about the next mayor. At least that's what I got out of it. You may disagree.

Anyway, here it is:

The easiest way to rally racism in the City of Philadelphia is to mention Mumia Abu-Jamal. This is the same city that embraced the corruption of Frank Rizzo. This is the same city that FOP was synonymous with “Fascist Officials on Patrol” for many years. Why is it in 2006, we must continue to try to invoke fear, ignorance and racism in order to divide when given the current state of affairs of the city, country and world we should be attempting to galvanize ourselves in this Democratic process and embracing the privilege that goes along with it.

If we are to move forward, then let us, as a city embrace that fact that we have the right to disagree and move forward with issues of relevance not opinion and conjecture.

(bumped to the top by Dan)
Big news today in the race:

Jonathan Saidel, who has been actively campaigning for mayor -- he recently put out a major position paper, something we haven't seen much of yet, and last week he even opened his first campaign office -- has apparently decided instead not to run.

This from the Daily News' Dave Davies:

In a stunning development in the 2007 mayor’s race, former city controller Jonathan Saidel has decided to withdraw from the contest, according to several highly-placed Democratic sources.

A campaign announcement is expected Monday. (ETA: That statement actually came out today; you can find it in this post.)

Saidel found fundraising increasingly difficult as U.S. Rep. Bob Brady continued to consider entering the race. The Democratic sources said it remains unclear whether Brady will get in, but his allies were pressuring donors to avoid giving to Saidel until Brady made his decision.

A source close to Saidel said the former controller realized that since he and Brady share an overlapping political base - union leaders and white Democrats - he would have to work hard just to preserve support he thought he could count on.

“If you have to spend time defending your base, instead of going out and expanding it, it makes things very difficult,” said a source close to Saidel, “and when Jonathan looked at his family responsibilities and financial needs, he realized it would become very hard.”

Saidel campaign spokesman Dan Fee declined comment Sunday.

Saidel was among the top-tier candidates in the contest, with more than $1 million raised, a campaign staff and office in place, and a strong background in municipal issues from his 16 years as controller.

They called themselves "Batman and Robin" as they drove through Philadelphia in the final weeks of the 1999 mayoral race, drumming up support for John Street.

Jonathan Saidel, the former City Controller who has published a book about how to make Philadelphia better, sometimes simply called himself U.S. Rep. Bob Brady's driver.

They were known to be close, and conventional wisdom said that Saidel and Brady couldn't both run for mayor. But it was Saidel who was moving ahead with a campaign, working in a quiet, ward-to-ward way through the summer, then coming out with a trifecta of the right pre-announcement moves: a campaign Web site, the first real position paper of the race and the opening of his first campaign office. And it was Brady on the sidelines, who still had people wondering if he was going to run or was just "busting chops," as his friends told the Daily News' Stu Bykofsky (and somehow, we doubt that they really said "chops").

But it was Saidel who blinked.

Saidel gave this statement to the Daily News today:

"I have always understood that politics is a full contact sport and it was never a surprise to me that some people, including people that have been friends, would oppose me. That wouldn't have dissuaded me from running.

"But as I thought about the race, what it would take to win, and the impact it would have on my ability to earn a living and take care of my family, I realized that I could not be as committed to the race as I would need to be."

And what did Brady say?

Today, Brady told the Daily News that Saidel had not told him of his plans. Brady also said he had not decided whether he would run for mayor.

This despite signs such as the quotes from labor leader Henry Nicholas, who says Brady called him last Saturday and asked for his support.

(ETA: Gotta give Larry Ceisler credit for the best quote re Brady, in the story by Michael Currie Schaffer and Marcia Gelbart in today's Inquirer:

"As far as I can tell, he tells different people different things on the same day," Ceisler said. "He is our own little Hamlet.")

One issue that always seems to come up during the mayoral election is idea that there's a battle between the interest of Center City and the interests of the neighborhoods outside of Center City. Accurate or not, the perception of this wedge has affected our evaluations of mayoral performance and our expectations of the next mayor.

Ed Rendell was perceived to be focused on Center City, a characterization which, according to Buzz Bissinger's "A Prayer for the City," drove Rendell crazy. Rendell went to great lengths to make sure that his staff compiled lists that included every event he attended outside of Center City. Perception eventually became reality and even became an issue during the 1999 mayor's race as candidates sought to convince voters that they wouldn't just focus on Center City like the outgoing mayor.

John Street, on the other hand, is generally perceived to be all about the neighborhoods, a perception which he sometimes fosters and other times distances himself from depending on his audience. While addressing a group of neighborhood leaders about NTI back in the spring of 2005 he made it clear that he has always said that whatever resources Center City gets, the neighborhoods would get and then some. During the Chamber of Commerce's annual luncheon (where he unveiled the video of his Tour de Philly bike ride), he stressed that while he has worked on improving neighborhoods it hasn't taken his attention away from Center City. The proof being in the pudding, no one can argue that even while the focus of Street's major initiatives has been on the neighborhoods, Center City has enjoyed even greater growth and success than it did during the Rendell era.

Is it possible that we may be moving past these arguments? Daily News columnist Earni Young writes today about the opening of a brand new movie theater in North Philadelphia. According to her description, "The Pearl" sounds like one of those old school movie houses for which people actually got dressed up to visit. Such a theater, in an area that had formerly been shunned by private developers and victimized by redlining, is the flagship of development that includes new housing and retail. In at least one way, this theater represents a way in which a formerly downtrodden neighborhood has something that Center City doesn't have - a first-run movie complex within walking distance. In fact, being a Center City resident who happens to like movies a lot, I started this blog post just because I wanted to point out this quote from Councilman Darrell Clarke (who, incidentally represents a big chunk of Center City):

But an entire generation of North Philadelphia residents has no memory of being able to walk to a neighborhood theater, Clarke said.

"We're going to change that. I believe neighborhoods should have all the amenities that we have in Center City."

I happen to agree wholeheartedly with Councilman Clarke but in this case I would add that it would be nice if Center City had at least one of the amenities that the neighborhoods have.

Anyway, here's hoping that this development, along with the jobs, the street life, the positive activities and the optimism that come with it, helps us get to a point where the can stop talking about "Center City vs. neighborhoods" and get all of us to "Philadelphia vs. the world." Maybe someday (soon) Center City vs. neighborhoods will only be talked about in historical documentaries that you can see in a theater near you.

Sometimes, in a political campaign, you get a lot of press releases that sound OK, but are actually pointless. So-and-so is promoting jobs by going to a groundbreaking, so-and-so is bravely taking a stand against crime. They sound good, but there's more politicking than policy there.

This was not the case with Michael Nutter today.

The declared candidate made a presentation to the city's new Board of Ethics. He has a set of detailed questions about how candidates should account for the excess money they have collected before they officially declare their candidacy. (Contributions to a candidate in this election are subject to limits of $2,500 from an individual donor and $10,000 from a political committee -- limits that will double on Dec. 16.)

Are escrow accounts needed to segregate the excess money? Should excess money be returned? Do the candidates have to prove they did either?

The board of ethics has said clarifying and doing the hard work of enforcing the city's campaign finance laws -- hey, what's more fun than filings? -- would be its first priority.

It is worth pointing out that Nutter, who had to resign from City Council to run for Mayor, was the first declared candidate. And, while he was in Council, he wrote the legislation that created the Board of Ethics. It is also worth pointing out that he pointed that last fact out, in the first paragraph of his press release.

Commenter Zach provided an answer to my question from yesterday regarding the decades-old debate about whether the interests of Center City are at odds with the interests of the surrounding neighborhoods.

He says:
This issue of Center City vs. Neighborhoods is a myth that needs neither further coverage nor propagation. It is clear to see (to most reasonable people at least) that Center City and the various Neighborhoods outside of it, should complement one another rather than compete with each other. The market is the ultimate decider, and in Philadelphia's case it points to centralized growth. Center City is a natural place to incubate the city's economy and expand tax revenue in order to improve public education, services, and amenities for all city residents. The neighborhoods are equally integral because they should provide the resources, human and otherwise, which fuel the economy.

I think that puts the question to bed for me. Anyone else wanna chime in?

I would be remiss after all of my glowing praise progress represented by the opening of the new movie theater in North Philadelphia, if I didn't post the story about last night's shooting and offer people a chance to comment.

To me, the most disturbing quote in the story came from an activist from a group that is supposedly working to reduce these kinds of incidents:

Rich Ford, of Men United for a Better Philadelphia, watched hordes of adolescents yell and shove one another outside the complex, and then questioned the wisdom of putting a theater in North Philly.

"This is not Center City or Manayunk," he said. "It's the heart of North Philadelphia. This place is going to draw a multitude of young kids from all over, and these kinds of events will probably be ongoing at this location."

It's disturbing on a number of levels. One, if you assume that the speaker is someone who has a lot of experience dealing with youth in these neighborhoods and therefore has some level of expertise about the mindsets and behavior of young people from neighborhoods that have long been underserved by amenities such as movie theaters, then it's disheartening that he may be right.

On the other hand, if the guy is full of crap, then it's discouraging that someone who is affiliated with a group like Men United has this kind of attitude and pessism about the chances to make such a neighborhood more vibrant and livable with such amenities. He's then feeding into the attitudes of a lot of people in the city who believe that poor people don't deserve nice things just because a few a-holes mess it up for them. I happen to think that if you work to make lower income neighborhoods more attractive to different mixes of income levels, races, and ethnicities by building movie theaters and supermarkets and parks and good schools, then the critical mass of non-a-holes will build up to such a degree that behavior such as this won't be tolerated.

I really do feel for all of the families from that neighborhood who brought their little kids to the movies last night in an attempt to escape, for just a couple of hours, the very situation that erupted and ruined their night.

Sigrid Leeks of North Philadelphia, who was inside watching "Monster House" when the shots were fired, said she didn't hear them, but her cell phone started going off because friends and family had heard about the incident.

"Where else are we going to go?" she said angrily, echoing complaints of other moviegoers.

"It frustrates me that my children and I can't go to a decent movie anywhere within two miles of my home, because people don't show respect," said 35-year-old Genea McCrea of Kensington, who had arrived hoping to see a movie with her two sons, ages 9 and 15.

Exactly. I'm outraged and I don't even live there. I can only imagine how everyone who lives there feels. I imagine that they're wishing the same fate on whoever started this bullsh*t that befell the shooting victim (read the story to find out what I mean).

You know what I want the next mayor to do? Go to movies at this theater... regularly. And for good measure, take the subway to get there.

So it sounds like Monday will bring a formal campaign announcement by Would-be Mayor Dwight Evans!

And then there's this tidbit, reported to us by the Daily News' Dave Davies:

Friends of U.S. Rep.Bob Brady are telling each other to save the date of Dec. 21 for a kick-off fundraiser if Brady decides to leap into the mayor’s race. Brady’s been cogitating on the subject for months, and his acolytes want to be ready to move quickly if the answer is yes.

The city’s campaign finance law limits contributions per calendar year, so Brady-ites want to get their money-people to max out before Dec. 31, and re-up some time after the Mummer’s Parade. Despite the planning that’s going into his fundraising, sources say Brady still hasn’t committed to running.

Yo Hamlet -- er, Bob -- whatcha waitin' for?

The battle for supremacy of the air has commenced. First, here's the ad:

And here's a sampling of commentary about the ad from today's Daily News and Inquirer.

(Daily News)
Democratic media consultant Neil Oxman said the Knox ads should make a splash because no one else in the race is on television yet.

But as to whether it will work, Oxman added: "Tom Knox is his checkbook; that's his candidacy."

(Inquirer)
For Knox, a newcomer to electoral politics and a virtual unknown among city voters, the ad campaign is the only option, said Neil Oxman, the strategist who worked on Rendell's successful campaigns.

"If you're the only one on TV, it goes a lot further," he said.
...
But Larry Ceisler, a political consultant who has worked with labor leader John J. Dougherty, another possible candidate, said December was a risky time to spend money on campaign ads.

"It shows people you're serious, that you're a player," he said.

I don't really have much to say about this. If Knox can continue to be on the air, continuously, from now until May then maybe this will be effective. If he goes dark after this $700,000 buy and doesn't go back on until everyone else is on the air, then he's probably wasted that money. As for the ad itself, I'm not an expert but I think he missed an opportunity to play up the fact that he is the one true outsider. That's what separates him from the other candidates.

Great, he grew up poor.
Wonderful, he sent his money home to mom.
Sure, he's a successful businessman. (wait, wasn't that Sam Katz a successful businessman?)

Here he is with Ed Rendell. Ok, he's got some government experience. But to the lay person, he could have been a government insider all this time since that picture was taken. Granted, Rendell still has a lot of popularity around here but don't you think EVERY other candidate is going to put pictures of themselves with Rendell in their ads? He also fails to use the word "reform" in this ad, giving up any chance he'd have to catch on to a reform wave, should one happen to build. And I don't think "fix" is a different word for reform.

So in sum, the one thing he has going for him, aside from the money, is his status as a real outsider and after spending $700,000, I don't think anyone knows it.

Thoughts? And here's a fun question. What would you do with $700,000? I have a few ideas of my own.

Yes, we've overhauled www.thenextmayor.com. It's got an all new look and new features.

It's also got some bugs, which is why we're launching this sorta quietly at the moment.

If you see some, please send Wendy an e-mail about the problem and we'll get it fixed ASAP.

By the way, it's no coincidence that we relaunched this week. Did you know it's our birthday? Our project to cover the 2007 race for Mayor deeply, and in an issues-focused way, is one year old today!

Happy birthday to us!

What's a Pennsylvania Society weekend in Manhattan without a Johnny Doc promotion?

Two years ago, the hot dog vendors on Times Square wore "John Dougherty 2007" T-shirts. Last year, the coat checkers at the Waldorf handed our spies "Johnny Doc 2007" Christmas tree ornaments.

This afternoon, reports our correspondent Catherine Lucey, signs outside of the Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney party at ESPN Zone proclaimed, "John Doc for Mayor 2007."

Accompanying the signs: Two Santas playing Christmas carols, one on trumpet, one on tuba.

Lucey asked Eddie Kirlin, director of special ops for Dougherty, how much the show cost. Said Kirlin: "I think Santa wants Doc to run for mayor."

Also at the ESPN Zone, which was packed and where conversation could only be heard if shouted, senior writer Dave Davies tried to pin down former Congressman Bob Borski on his mayoral choice.

"I got two Congressmen (Chaka Fattah and Bob Brady) and I like them both the same," he shrugged.

Brady is arriving tomorrow, which prompted one Democratic wag to say, "I can't wait to see a formal jogging suit looks like."

Just a brief interruption of the PA society stuff...which is hysterical, of course...to let you know that PoliticsPA is reporting:

PoliticsPA has learned that State Rep. Dwight Evans will announce his candidacy for Mayor at 6 p.m. Monday at the Columbia YMCA on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. Earlier that day, Evans will hold two separate town meetings to talk about the violence that continues to plague Philadelphia. He'll also release a policy paper detailing his proposal for adding several hundred more officers to the Philadelphia Police force as part of an overall strategy to reduce crime.

Evans' campaign is being managed by Washington-insider Maurice Daniel, a campaign veteran who has worked for a slate of Democratic luminaries including former Vice President Al Gore and former President Bill Clinton.

While we're waiting for our Manhattan correspondents to sober up and resume feeding us notes, this might be a good time to review the origins of this annual migration of the Keystone State's rich and powerful.

The Pennsylvania Society was founded in 1899 by 55 Pennsylvanians with business ties to New York, Andrew Carnegie among them.

The society hosts an annual black tie dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria (some of the founders were among original investors in the hotel) on the second Saturday of December.

A prominent citizen is honored at the dinner with presentation of the Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievment and a $25,000 contribution to the honoree's favorite charity.

Among past honorees are George H.W. Bush, David McCullough, Chris Matthews, Joe Paterno, Andrew Wyeth, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Herbert Hoover and Henry Ford.

The event used to be a time for cigar-chomping industrialists and backroom politicos to decide who would get nominated to office in the coming year. These days it's a giant fund-raising and schmooze fest with lawyers, lobbyists and contract-seeking corporate types wining and dining clients, prospective clients and politicians.

The dinner is the centerpiece of the weekend's events, which include scores of cocktail parties, breakfasts and lunches, which run non-stop from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning.

There are so many events during Pennsylvania Society weekend that the Waldorf can't hold them all. Nearby hotels take the spillover. That's how Michael Nutter wound up at the Benjamin on East 50th for two events.

First was a $250-a-head fund raiser (closed to the press). Next, Nutter was the featured speaker the annual Chester County Chamber of Commerce business and industry leadership reception.

Chamber chief Rob Powelson praised Nutter as “one of the guys who gets it. Every CEO who meets him is impressed.”

This quote gives more ammunition to Ray Murphy over at the liberal Young Philly Politics site, who's been bashing Nutter for being too pro-business and thus not sufficiently liberal.

Columnist John M. Baer checks in with this tip from the Waldrof Astoria: When state Rep. Dwight Evans announces his candidacy for mayor on Monday, he will also announce a plan to put 500 more police officers on the street on the day of his swearing-in in January 2008.

Last June, the Daily News Clout page asked this question: Can political consultant David Axelrod make it three in a row?

The Chicago-based campaign guru advised John Street in his winning 1999 and 2003 campaigns (not to mention Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama) and was poised to help craft U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah's message.

Clout said to expect the hiring of Axelrod "any minute now" but it took more than a minute. Columnist John M. Baer got The Ax to admit today he is now a paid staffer of the Fattah campaign.

If Bob Brady gets into the race, this would pit Axelrod against his former protege, Ken Snyder, who would jump on board a Brady campaign.

City Councilman Frank Rizzo, who's often mentioned but never runs when it comes to a mayoral campaign, says the withdrawal of Jonathan Saidel has prompted further study.

"I always knew there would be a lot of shaking out in the field," Rizzo told Dave Davies at the Blank Rome reception inside the Interconteninental Hotel tonight. "I never thought Saidel would be in it at the end."

As for his own entry into the Democratic primary, Rizzo said, "Now I have to look at it." Rizzo predicted if he runs, it will completely change the primary election landscape.

Our favorite part: Rizzo was with Judy Camiel, his fund raiser. Judy is married to the nephew of the late Pete Camiel. Old geezers like us remember when Camiel, Democratic chairman in the 1970s, had a long-running bitter feud with Mayor Frank L. Rizzo, the Councilman's father.

He won't admit it, but U.S. Rep and Philadelphia Democratic Party chairman Bob Brady WILL run for mayor.

How do we know? He's coming to the Pennsylvania Society bash tomorrow night to mix with the Big Money crowd.

"He NEVER comes up here," one savvy pol told John Baer outside one of the endless cocktail parties that make this event a woozy blur. "I've been coming up here for 21 years and I've never seen him once."

But Big Bob is coming this year and that makes us think he's running.

"What other reason could he possibly have?," said our pol.

And we are back! Even at 10 a.m., the PA society parties rage on. Here's the latest...

One more item from last night, at the Local 98 function -- Johnny Doc was conspicuously absent from his own elaborate party at the Waldorf. Spokesman Frank Keel said he was at the hospital back in Philadelphia with his mom.

However you might feel about this brash, often polarizing labor leader, there is one thing about Doc: While his mother and his wife have been ill, he has been at their side. Frank Keel said: "A lot of people talk about family values, John lives them."

This morning was the University of Pennsylvania's breakfast. In the crowd: declared candidate Chaka Fattah, declared candidate Michael Nutter and will-declare-on-Monday candidate Dwight Evans.

Fattah's presence means that he has missed votes in Congress -- something that we have promised to track as this newly re-elected Congressman runs for mayor. He told the Daily News' Catherine Lucey that he had thought about it, and decided that running for mayor of Philadelphia was important enough that he had to miss some votes. He pointed out that John Kerry did as well, when he was running for President.

"I am here because I intend to be the next mayor," he said.

Chaka was there with his wife, NBC-10 anchor Renee Chenault Fattah.

An item in the Philadelphia Tribune's QT column yesterday has some folks buzzing about who may be the Republican candidate for mayor.

The item spun an elaborate scenario suggesting that some of Michael Nutter's unusual actions -- alienating longtime supporter and Democratic power Carol Campbell for example -- are really designed to position himself as the ultimate anti-machine candidate running as -- a Republican!

These conspiracy theories pop up (remember Doc as the GOP candidate?) mainly because the Republicans don't yet have a candidate.

When Dave Davies asked Republican chairman Vito Canuso last night if the GOP had found a candidate, Canuso replied that first he had to find $6 million!

Well, Canuso's come to the right place, as the law firms, corporate lobbyists and special interests represented at Pa. Society weekend donate millions to Pa. candidates. Maybe he can pass the hat at some of these cocktail parties.

So where's Bob Brady?

Everyone expects him at Pennsylvania Society, the must-see and must-be-seen event of the political calendar, going on as we type in NYC right now. But, at least of very late last night, he wasn't there.

State Sen. Vince Fumo told the Daily News' Dave Davies that he spoke to Congressman Brady about midnight last night -- when Brady was still on the floor of the U.S. House for a late-night vote.

Fumo, you'll recall, was instrumental in last weekend's big news, that former City Controller Jonathan Saidel had decided to abandon his well-underway campaign for mayor. Many believe that Brady wouldn't run if his friend, Saidel, did, so any role Fumo played in getting Saidel out would help pave the way for Brady's entry. Or so the theory goes.

Problem with that theory is, Brady still has to be the one to decide to run. And him not being at PA Society is yet another sign of his indecision.

Another interesting exchange overheard by Dave:

Fumo and about-to-declare candidate (and State Rep.) Dwight Evans encounter each other at the University of Pennsylvania breakfast. Much backslapping, embracing, etc.

And then, both sides chuckling:

Fumo to Evans: "Here he is! He's everybody's second choice!"

Evans to Fumo: "You're nasty, man!"

Much chuckling continues.

Catherine Lucey saw Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, at Pennsylvania Society just now. And he said he'll be forming an exploratory committee to begin the run-up for a possible candidacy this week. "I am anxious to get started," Taubenberger said. "The last couple of weeks, people have been coming up to me and saying they feel I am the right man for the job."

Taubenberger unsuccessfully ran in GOP primaries for the U.S. House in 2002 and 2004, as Catherine has reported previously.

She also saw lawyer George Bochetto, who said he has no plans to form an exploratory committee but is still considering running as an R. "I frankly think exploratory committees are a waste of time," he said. "You are either running or you are not running."

And city Councilman Frank Rizzo? He's still thinking about it, but hasn't decided to run or if he would rather run as an R or D.

Finally, she talked with Gov. Ed Rendell, who remains firmly undecided about how to throw his support into the developing mayor's race.

Asked who he would support, he responded: "All five of the candidates are people that are my friend, and all five have been stong supporters...it would be very difficult for me to make a choice."

(He didn't specify who the five were, but our guess is that list doesn't include Doc, though Doc certainly has been a supporter. Or maybe it's hard to count after partying into the wee hours and waking up for a 10 a.m. breakfast that's a lot more like a party.)

He also had this to say of Brady: Of all of the candidates, Brady "would have the biggest lifestyle change."

BTW: Still no Bob sightings at the Waldorf. Rumor has it he was working in the U.S. House last night til 3 a.m.

Editor's note: Things are starting to slow down up in the Big Apple. We'll have an update, though, after tonight's dinner.

Bob Brady, after being on the floor of Congress until the wee hours, arrived about 6 p.m., says the Daily News' John Baer.

Many people - including potential Republican candidate Frank Rizzo - thought this was a sign that the Congressman would enter the race - but Brady told Baer he had not decided yet. In fact, he said he has not even OK'd the hiring of a fund-raiser by the critical Dec. 31 deadline for this year's donations.

Rizzo said that if Brady got into the race, it made it more likely that he'd enter too, something he's hinted at before.

In other news: Supreme Court justice Sandra Schultz Newman is getting married! Newman, who is retiring from the high court at the end of the month, is going to wed former mayoral candidate -- and fellow South Philly High alum -- Marty Weinberg.

Their romance was first reported here

At last, one of the Would-Be Mayors announces during the week. This means that we have more extensive coverage of Evans' event, including a set-up story from the Daily News' Bob Warner, the Inquirer's live coverage, and the day-after coverage of the Daily News and Inquirer.

Evans also put out his first policy paper of his candidacy. He's landed hard on crime (which remains the dominant issue of the race), and given voters 20 pages of ideas to consider.

Obviously, Evans has a lot of interconnected concept in his head about how to make the city safer. Getting them done in one or even two terms, however -- not to mention how to pay for them -- would be the problem.

A ruling today by Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Allan L. Tereshko has me thinking that Michael Nutter is having one of those days where you he just should have stayed in bed.

Via Philebrity, which also has the entire article from the Legal Intelligencer, we learn that Judge Tereshko has basically said that the city has about as much power to regulate campaign finance as it does to regulate firearms, ie none. So, the heart of ethics reform, limiting campaign contributions, may be ripped out of the city's chest and eaten by everyone who'll be lining up to send along those $50,000 checks to the candidates.

Nutter, long a champion of the legislation, which, to be straight, was introduced by Councilman Goode, had also been abiding voluntarily to the rules even before declaring his candidacy. This puts him at a distinct disadvantage when compared to candidates like Chaka Fattah and Bob Brady who will be more likely to raise the big dollar contributions.

On top of that, Dougherty's lawyers are seeking to appeal a dismissal of a suit that they filed against Nutter. In this suit, Dougherty claims that Nutter was acting like a candidate before resigning from Council - a violation of the rules. Dougherty's lawyer, George Bochetto says,

the penalty for Nutter, if he is found to have violated the rule, should be a disqualification from running for the 2007 mayoral race

In an odd twist that demonstrates the incestuous nature of Philly politics, Bochetto's name often comes up as a potential Republican candidate for mayor. That's a hell of a strategy... knock off your opponents in the courts and run unopposed. Hooray for Mayor Default!

UPDATE: Here's a news story you can link to.

And I think we should listen to them:

(via Young Philly Politics.)

This kind of from-the-grassroots sentiment is as good as any of the stuff we've learned from our journey through the region and from the folks who have come into our studios to talk about isssues. Plus, sometimes it really is as simple as supermarkets, banks, hospitals, libraries and schools.

I realize this video was intended for the decisionmakers who will be determining the fate of the new casinos, but the candidates for mayor would do well to pay attention.

Over at Phillyville, RubyLegs has posted a copy of the court decision that threw out campaign donation limits in Philadelphia. (Repeat that to yourselves a couple of times: THREW OUT CAMPAIGN DONATION LIMITS IN PHILADELPHIA. Then repeat these things to yourself: Ron White. Penn's Landing. Adding thousands of dollars of legal costs to each city bond issue. Paying Milton Street $30,000 a month to "work" at the airport -- and giving him an airport employees' pass. Then, attempt to prevent yourself from moving to a place where pay-to-play doesn't rule the government.)

Thanks for letting us know, RubyLegs...and now go check out the ruling.

Here's the latest from Tom Knox. It's called "Mothers."

This is what is known as running from the left. While the ad doesn't make any concrete proposals, it tries to tug at the heartstrings not only of the many people in Philadelphia who are single parents or have been raised by single parents but also those on the liberal left who use social justice as one of their determining factors for deciding for whom to vote.

Having seen Knox in person a few times, I haven't been impressed with his public speaking ability or his one-on-one interactions. However, he does a decent job in this commercial.

And of course, there's the fact that he's the only guy on the air right now so if he's able to keep this up through May, he may be able to define himself effectively before the others get going. I'm not sure where or what time this ad is airing but I'd bet it's a similar buy to the one he started a couple of weeks ago (ie local news, cable stations, morning and early evening, etc.).

Now, I think we'd all like to hear what it is he intends to do for those single mothers and their children.

Anyone else? Thoughts?

Evans's website, up and running.

Oh geez. How many times are we going to see cheesy uses of the candidates names in my blog posts? Answer: many. Muahahahaha. C'mon with names like Dwight, Nutter, Knox, Brady, Chaka, Fattah, and Doc, how can I not? By the way, those were the original seven names that Walt Disney was going to use for the dwarves in Snow White.

Mayoral candidate Dwight Evans will get the endorsement of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 at noon tomorrow. Read the press release here.

A friend of mine (whose anonymity I'll protect since I'm not sure he wants his name attached to this) made me aware of this press release on the FEC website.

Apparently, IBEW Local 98's Committee on Political Education, with possible mayoral candidate John Dougherty listed as treasurer, agreed through ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) to pay the FEC $8,500 for "failure to file pre-election independent expenditure reports."

Here is a copy of the settlement agreement between the two parties.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that my source's suggestion for this blog post title was "Johnny Docked by the FEC." Not wanting to steal outright from him, I ended up with the rather pedestrian effort you see above.

(edited to add)
My source seems to have found the source of Dougherty's FEC transgressions. According to the original complaint:

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 Committee on Political Education (“the Committee”) failed to file one (1) 48-Hour Notice to support an independent expenditure totaling $68,284.00 made between January 1st and the 20th day before the 2004 General Election and one (1) 24-Hour Notice to support three (3) independent expenditures totaling $56,088.97 made after the 20th day, but more than 24 hours before the 2004 General Election

What did they spend over $120,000 on? Looks like t-shirts supporting John Kerry according to IBEW's own expenditure reports here and here. Look closely at that first one and you'll see that the Local 98 "Committee on Political Education" also $1480 worth of "Brady for Congress" hats (aka "Thinkin' Caps"). I guess that's one candidate they're unlikely to spend money for this year.

Yes, this is some pretty inside baseball stuff but just thought y'all might be interested.

The city's getting geared up for the slots licenses coming down Wednesday. So we thought it was time to take a look at the mayoral candidates -- and what ties, if any, they might have to the casino applicants.

The short answer: Very few ties, frankly.

The Daily News' Dave Davies and Catherine Lucey spent a while looking at the applicants, and basically there are only minor or tangential connections to the candidates. (There are far stronger ties to the owners of the Daily News. Brian Tierney, the CEO of Philadelphia Media Holdings, put together a group that owns more than 7.1 percent of Donald Trump's proposed TrumpStreet casino in Nicetown/East Falls.)

Jerry Mondesire, the president of the Philadelphia NAACP and a supporter of Dwight Evans, has a tiny fraction - 0.2 percent - of the half-owner of the Riverwalk Casino. And after that, the connections are even more tenuous:

Fattah: No significant ties, though he and BET chief Robert Johnson -- who is a recent addition to the Pinnacle project, so recent that his name is not part of the application that the gaming board is considering -- did both go on a trip to Africa in 1998 that was organized by the Clinton administration.

Evans: Besides Mondesire? The closest tie might be to Bill Miller. He's part of the Northwest Alliance, which is tied to Dwight. And Miller is also part of Riverwalk. Other than that, we're talking connections at this level: In 1997, he gave a $1,000 personal check to Ahmeenah Young, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, for her black women's empowerment effort, "Ain't I a Woman." (That factoid was unearthed by Catherine.)

Nutter: Has a much clearer link to Young, a longtime Convention Center exec, since he is the Center's chairman. He met with Trump in December 2005, when he was still in City Council, on the casino matter, though Nutter said later that he thought Trump needed to do more for the neighborhood.

Brady and Doc: Besides general labor ties? (Municipal workers union president Pete Matthews has a role in Pinnacle). Gee. Does it count that Dougherty introduced professional PR guy Frank Keel to Richard Sprague, who is a part of the SugarHouse deal?

Knox: We couldn't find any direct connections, though a businessman's cronies are usually less public than a pol's.

Know of something we missed? Please comment and we'll update...

And if you want a no-casino point of view...check out the PSAs done by the Media Mobilizing Project in concert with Casino Free Philadelphia.

The videos can be viewed here on YouTube.

Thanks to Aaron of the Philly Independent Media Center for the tip.