A report from KYW this morning...
KYW’s Breakfast With the Candidates got off to a crackling good start when city hall bureau chief Mike Dunn grilled Bob Brady about his admission in PhillyMag that he was “spinning the s---” in 2003 when he portrayed the FBI corruption investigation as a Republican plot against Democratic mayor John Street.
Dunn interrupted Brady’s evasive explanation several times, setting a no-nonsense tone for the event.
Reporter Steve Tawa asked Tom Knox pointed questions about his history with high-interest payday lending and fines in Maryland against his health insurance company. The candidate seemed under-prepared for something he had to know was coming.
“Banks make loans,” Knox said. “Less than two percent of our assets were in invested into the predatory lending, or payday loans…we got out of it before every other bank got out of it. So we weren’t in it.”
“Do you regret it?” Tawa asked.
“At the time I think we made the right decision. I thought that people needed to be able to get small micro loans.”
As for his Maryland health insurance firm, Knox denied his company ever “told people they had to get a doctor’s permission to got an emergency room.”
“All they did was told them that before going to an emergency room they should consider going to see their own doctor where they were better off,” Knox said.
Wrong.
State fined the firm for a Spring 2001 newsletter from Knox’s company to policy holders reminding them to “call (their) Primary Care Physician for authorization prior to visiting an emergency room…”
Knox said after the debate that wording was mistakenly inserted by someone in his company.
Still, much of the debate was familiar recitations of record and positions.
There was no mention of the latest flap in the campaign – so called 527 organizations that have popped up to attack Knox, and the acknowledged efforts of fired Brady campaign operative Ken Smukler to encourage them.
At one point, Brady said some nice things about Michael Nutter’s work at the convention center, then as Dwight Evans was speaking, Brady smiled and gestured at Nutter, mouthing the words, “you owe me one.”
Comments (23)
Illiterate fraud Bob Brady's campaign and future are going down in flames.
The broken down machine's party is OVER!
Posted by Anonymous | April 30, 2007 11:35 AM
While I don't support Chaka Fattah, I do agree with his analysis of the debate, where he complained that it lacked enough issue related questions. The whole "describe the guy on your right's personality" was just stupid.
And did I hear it right that other candidates at least 3 times complimented Nutter?
Posted by RogerRoger104 | April 30, 2007 11:46 AM
I think Brady is seeing that Nutter's chances of becoming mayor have been increasing and will likely continue over the next two weeks. While Brady might not come across as the brightest guy in the room he's no dummy when it comes to sweethearting.
The Congressman's chances of staying head of the local party will be nill if Knox ends up in City Hall. With Nutter being the Knox-alternative it all makes sense Brady would pitch that.
Posted by Patricio | April 30, 2007 11:51 AM
Brady will win this election. It's clear that Knox is fraud, and Brady is the only one standing up to him. With a ground operation, Brady will win. Good for him. I agree with Stu Bykovsky.
Posted by Anonymous | April 30, 2007 12:07 PM
I didn't know "a ground operation" will mean an instant victory. Its likely we will have 2 camps involved in intimidating voters and leaving campaign flyers IN the polling place. When one group is being controlled by Johnny Doc and the other by the Vince Of Darkness. Its very likely.
On a related issue, this weekend I enjoyed a night out at an establishment (that will go nameless) that had Brady posters posted all over there windows. No big deal, right? Well except for the fact that it is a polling place on May 15th. I went right up to the owner of this establishment to discuss the matter. His defense was that it's a polling place through the OTHER entrance. Right now, I believe, he did take them down the next day.
Does anyone know the legal ramifications to this? It seemed to me that the Fumocrat that tossed the signs to him probably told him to say "the other entrance story" if anyone questioned him.
Posted by Patricio | April 30, 2007 12:43 PM
On the whole Knox-Dougherty thing, I was at the New Alhambra for boxing a couple of weekends ago, and Johnny and his brother were not only prominently in the house but also recognized by the announcer, while Tom Knox literature was distributed by the ticket table to every attendee.
Posted by RogerRoger104 | April 30, 2007 12:56 PM
Word on the street is that Doc's local 98 goons are intimidating people in south philly who put brady signs in their windows.
People breaking windows and making threats.
Posted by Jill | April 30, 2007 1:09 PM
Also. Paid Knox supporters (mostly young kids) plastering vehicles in Valley Green with Literature. Trash everywhere.
Has Knox no shame?
Posted by Jill | April 30, 2007 1:23 PM
How many Local 98 union goons and thugs actually LIVE in Philadelphia?
Posted by Anonymous | April 30, 2007 1:25 PM
Apparently enough in interrupt the everyday lives of hardworking Philadelphians.
The Local 98 Dirty Tricks Crew is in full effect. People in hard working blue collar neighborhoods are fearing for their safety.
Just another day of mayhem for the jackbooted Knox brownshirts.
Posted by Jill | April 30, 2007 1:34 PM
We got 3 fliers mailed to our house last week from the Knox Campaign and neither of us are supporters. I wonder from whom they are buying the mailing list!!! (Don't get me started on the Fattah lit bomber despite the big sign on my door for another candidate!!)
Posted by FTP | April 30, 2007 2:00 PM
I also got the Knox fliers. Campaigns are legally allowed to purchase lists of people registered in with their party, including their addresses (that's how they canvass and gather petition signatures). I'm sure Knox has the resources to buy the entire list for the city of Philadelphia and mail as much literature as he wants to every single address.
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April 30, 2007 2:05 PM
Hey Jill, remember Nutter resigned from his "republican controlled" PA convention center position a couple of weeks back. Some interesting news about that move is going to be coming up soon?
Posted by Son of Anonymous | April 30, 2007 2:06 PM
Patrico and everyone else:
What are the official rules about signage and campaigning on the 15th? I recall someone handing out cards with candidate's names on them at the door of my polling place last November.
Posted by FTP | April 30, 2007 2:07 PM
I especially appreciated how Knox denied ever hearing a request from Committee of 70 to limit his spending - I recall seeing something about that on this very blog and a response from Knox's campaign rejecting the request...I can't seem to find it in my search through the archives, but I definitely remember reading it.
Liar Liar pants on fire!
Posted by Joyce | April 30, 2007 2:22 PM
I don't live in the city, but the thing about Knox and his HMO requiring to clear ER visits with the personal physician is cooked-up garbage. Back in the 90s, before Aetna took over, I had a US Healthcare HMO and they required the same thing. I think it was (and may still be, I don't know) pretty standard. Why slam Knox for a something that every other HMO did?
Posted by No Horse | April 30, 2007 2:53 PM
Here's the article about Knox being urged to limit spending by the Committee of Seventy -- they deflected the question with a soundbyte.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070410_Knox_camp__urged_to_limit_spending__rolls_its_eyes.html
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April 30, 2007 3:09 PM
Brady supporters in my neighborhood took down my Nutter signs. They were very mean when I asked them to put them back. I hope Brady knows his people are doing this. Is this what we can expect if he gets elected mayor?
Posted by Pro Nutter and scared | April 30, 2007 8:27 PM
I wonder how come I didn't get any lit from Knox if I'm a registered dem at that address as well? I guess he either recognized me from the events where I'm supporting another candidate or he's smart enough to save money on avoiding duplicate addresses.
Amongst the staffers and volunteers at events, we've been pretty cordial about signage and literature. If you're there first, you get first pick and we obviuosly don't try to move material once its been placed. I have a working relationship with another campaign's staffer and we usually keep try to make sure we leave enough space for everyone. I can't say that about some campaigns, though. Who does one go to when signs in neightborhoods or front lawns are messed with? Do we contact the alleged offending campaign's hq or is there another office to call?
Posted by TedP | April 30, 2007 11:07 PM
Pro Nutter and Scared: You should have seen the little old ladies that took down the Anastasio signs at an event a few weeks ago. I shared that they should leave them up until the end of the event and they replied, "We're just cleaning things up" and the security at that event made us take all of our signs down. I don't know what's worse, thuggy union types or militant old ladies. (Note: they were older than me and on the cusp of social security age. Whether or not that constitutes "old" is left to the reader's discretion)
Posted by TedP | April 30, 2007 11:13 PM
I saw a group of union carpenters today smash a whole row of TVs in Best Buy in South Philly when a Knox ad aired. They stopped as soon as the commercial was over.
Posted by SP Native | April 30, 2007 11:14 PM
You are idiots. this is nothing but an incestuous circle-jerk. and you all know it. just waiting to stroke the latest poll. Now switching hands: I hear Brady just released an internal poll... in Smukler and he's blowing the competition.
Posted by Mr. Circ L. Jerc | April 30, 2007 11:15 PM
Tom Knox aka Tony Sopranos is a liar. Likes hanging around ex-con campaign (paid)aide, Michael Youngblood, a former drug dealer,JBM member and convicted of extorting money meant for the construction of a homeless shelter ask J. Whyatt Mondesire, head of local NAACP.
Posted by Struggle For Truth | May 1, 2007 12:40 AM