The Daily News's Bob Warner has this report about the debate and its aftermath:
The gloves are off in the Philadelphia mayor’s race, and the guy who’s suddenly taking heavy blows is Tom Knox, the millionaire businessman who’s ahead in the polls.
The five major Democratic candidates got together at WPVI this afternoon to tape their second televised debate, to be aired Sunday morning at 10 AM. Co ngressman Bob Brady waited until his closing statement to say publicly what his campaign aides have been sputtering about for weeks.
“There are four candidates sitting at this table that all their life helped working men and women,” Brady said. “There is one candidate, Tom Knox, that has not. [You’re] ripping off men and women, working men and women… Predatory lending, insurance scams, attacking pensions. Now, I’m going to get a lot of negative ads coming back to me, pr obably a million dollars negative on me. But ….my vision is too important for this city to have Tom Knox become the mayor.”
Knox did not have a chance to respond during the debate, and afterward, Knox’s aides hustled him away from the television studio to avoid any detailed reaction.
“Desperate candidates are saying things that they need to say,” Knox told reporters as his campaign manager, Josh Morrow, pushed him toward the exit. “I don’t have any response to Bob Brady.”
Meanwhile, Brady aides passed out a one-page sheet of allegations, based on Philadelphia newspaper stories and a report by Maryland insurance regulators, accusing various Knox business ventures of illegal or unethical behavior.
One allegation involved the operations of Crusader Bank, a Knox investment that offered payday loans – short term cash advances with heavy fees amounting to an annual interest rate of more than 400 percent.
Another charge involved Maryland Fidelity Insurance, purchased by Knox in 1999. Brady’s handout alleged that the company had been fined $70,000 by Maryland regulators for several violations, including instructions that policyholders were to seek permission from their primary care physicians before visiting a hospital emergency room.
With just over three weeks until the May 15th primary, th e events were a striking shift in a campaign that has consisted of mostly gentlemanly public exchanges.
Before Brady’s closing remarks, Dwight Evans also leveled criticism at Knox, saying that Knox’s television ads had misrepresented his role in the city government under Ed Rendell, exaggerating Knox’s influence. “He’s trying to sell himself as the David Cohen of the Rendell administration,” Evans said, referring to Rendell’s ubiquitous chief-of-staff.
“Dwight, that’s a lot of baloney,” Knox responded.
Evans also continued his criticism of a proposal from Congressman Chaka Fattah, to lease the Philadelphia airport to private interests and raise money for a battery of new educational programs. Week before last, Evans had described the proposal as “voodoo economics.” Today, Evans dismissed the plan as “fuzzy math.”
Fattah and former Councilman Michael Nutter both tried to hover above the fray.
Fattah took credit for bringing broad economic and educational issues to the fore of the campaign. All the candidates are supporting increased job and educational opportunities, he said.
Nutter repeatedly described himself as the only candidate in the race who had actually dealt with city problems - forcing the hiring of more city policemen in a budget battle with Mayor Street, and getting City Council to act on a series of polit ical reforms, including campaign contribution limits and a strengthened city Board of Ethics.
Apparently, Evans also took a few shots at the media for giving Knox a "free ride." Rather than get into my whole spiel about how folks seem only to be seeing what they want to see when it comes to media coverage of these candidates, I'll refer you and candidate Evans to this post, in which I pointed out at least 5 occasions (and there have been more), including the very first thing written about Knox, where the media has covered Knox's payday lending and insurance practices.
It seems pretty clear, that with 24 days left until the primary, we have a whole new campaign on our hands.
Stay tuned on Monday for even more about the debate from the Daily News (and I'm sure everyone else in the city).
Oh... and watch the darn thing yourself tomorrow at 10am on channel 6.
Comments (12)
That is funny. Seems to me that Brady, and his family, have made a ton of money off the working people of this city. Nice to know my union dues are funding his retirement, considering he hasn't worked an honest day in 30 years.
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 9:50 AM
You are an anonymous asshole...you working for Jonny Doc or beinn' paid by Mr. Big Ears -Tommy knox?
Posted by Union True and blue | April 22, 2007 11:08 AM
And no, I don't work or volunteer for any campaign, but I can read and write and don't belong to a Union, a big jump up from the average Philly voter.
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 1:40 PM
House of Umoja owes property taxes. Hard to improves schools if you don't pay your fair share in supporting them, Fattah family.
www.hallwatch.org and search on top 100 property tax delinquents.
"I've done so much for Philly, but when called to be responsible for the basics, I'm the exception to the rules the little people have to follow." -- Chaka Fattah.
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 1:42 PM
Knox will build a business and tax base that is legit, a first since Rendell.
Street and almost all of the local Democrats threw the Rendell legacy in the toilet with a lot of twaddle about how they are rebuilding the city while they are doling out taxpayer assets to their corrupt supporters.
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 1:53 PM
Clout is a Brady shill. Get over it, Gar-bled.
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 1:54 PM
Anonymous - like I said you are a first class A-hole! Go Fattah!
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 2:57 PM
Funny how the Brady Bunch have to immediately resort to personal attacks. I guess that's what happens when you can't refute the truth.
Brady lied to get Street re-elected. His wife gets a very high paying job with a company that has a no-bid city contract (and is connected to Fumo).
Not the type of guy I want running a city.
Posted by Anonymous | April 22, 2007 7:03 PM
I hate to do this, but I have removed some comments from this post. Feel free to comment, feel free to get into it. But if you are going to accuse people of crimes you better bring me some proof.
Posted by Wendy | April 22, 2007 9:58 PM
In observing politics at all levels over the years, I have noticed a common thread in what hurts candidates--arrogance. In watching the debate, the most telling moment to me was when Knox was asked if her ever learned from a mistake, and without blinking, he stated that he's never made a mistake. First of all, that is unbelievable. What's more troubling though is that he obviously has such high regard for himself that he could not even conceive that he had made a mistake in his life. Almost as much as his inability to admit to admit mistake was the self-righteous manner in whihc he responded. I am very concerned that his brand of arrogance will leave the city paralyzed. He must remember, he is not running for king, and is not the controlling shareholder of a corporation that he can control with his money. He is seeking to enter public service, and the form of government means he will have to work wht City Council, many of whom will probably take umbrage with his holier than thou shots at "big boss politics." Arrogance is avery damgerous trait. We all need to be wary of this guy.
Posted by The voice of the people | April 23, 2007 12:33 AM
Brady's answer to the failure question was a joke... He sounded like that clown kid everyone had in one of their elementary school classes who didn't know an answer when called upon and made one up instead.
Posted by Anonymous | April 23, 2007 11:47 AM
Anon--
It's a shame that you need to engage in the politics of personal destruction and call people names. Brady tried to inject some levity, I guess you have no sense of levity based on your nasty comment. Anyway, your comment does not change the fact that Knox comes off as an arrogant rich guy that does not connect with the regular folks who cast votes.
Posted by Voice of the People | April 23, 2007 11:30 PM