The Next Mayor project's content partners over at the Philadelphia Business Journal just posted this story on their site:
After omission, Brady amends his financial disclosure form
Philadelphia Business Journal - 10:59 AM EST Friday, March 9, 2007
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-Phila.) filed an amended financial disclosure form Friday to his nominating petitions for Philadelphia mayor, in hopes of warding off a court challenge that could end his campaign.
Brady failed to include his city pension in the financial disclosure statement turned in on Tuesday's deadline, in what his campaign called a minor technicality. The omission, if challenged, could lead to Brady's removal from the race, but his campaign is focusing now instead on his run, said spokeswoman Kate Philips.
...
Nutter's campaign, which turned in 13,000 petition signatures, reported no plans at this time to challenge Brady's candidacy. The other candidates could not be reached for comment.
(edited to add)
And Josh over at Fight For Room 215 quotes a political observer as saying that Brady "failed" what he considers "an IQ test for mayor."
To continue the sampling of reaction, Young Philly Politics goes all "Tim Russert" on Democratic Party stalwarts Jim Kenney and ward leader Lou Agre. Agre had countered challenger candidates who wanted to end the practice of challenging petitions because of technical errors by saying that:
If someone cannot get enough electors to sign their petition, or fill out a petition and financial disclosure form correctly, are they really capable of passing laws or governing.
Apparently, Kenney just called them "whiny."
Dan U-A, to his credit, is staying on his original point and not calling for Brady to be kicked off the ballot. Rather, this episode should be used "to enact some serious reforms with how the City party uses ballot challenges as sport to keep out change."
KYW 1060 just ran a story with a bite from Brady spokesperson Kate Phillips who said that, having filed an amendment to the original form, the campaign believes that this incident would only be a "blip" in Brady's candidacy. That "blip" however could be named Milton (who else?), who is apparently planning on being the one to challenge Brady's candidacy just so he can see whether the judge who rules on the case will be consistent with past rulings against challenger candidates or if that judge will dismiss the challenge because of Brady's status as party chair.
Comments (2)
Leave it to Milton - he'll take care of it ;)
http://kyw1060.com/pages/294803.php?contentType=4&contentId=367604
Posted by Robert | March 9, 2007 12:18 PM
One lesson in all of this is that the "Machine" isn't really all that sophisticated or powerful. Brady's more like a sheep herder; he and his party do a great job turning out the vote in a democratic city for state and national candidates, but when it comes to dealing with domestic competition, they’re not really equipped to handle it.
Posted by PhillyDeservesBetter | March 9, 2007 12:40 PM