Dave Davies has another great story in this morning's Daily News: As everyone thought would happen, an independent group has formed to raise money for attack ads challenging Tom Knox.
Such a group -- sometimes called a "527" for the part of the tax code it refers to -- is not supposed to be linked to any campaign. Because it is not raising money for a candidate, it is not bound by campaign donation limits.
This group is called the "Economic Justice Coalition for Truth." It's president is Rev. Robert Shine and its treasurer is attorney Alex Talmadge.
Talmadge. Wait...Talmadge. Hasn't he hung out with Tommy the Loan Shark? In fact, wasn't he just in Clout?
"According to two witnesses, Talmadge was a stand-in for U.S. Rep. Bob Brady at a North Philadelphia candidates' forum March 14. Talmadge didn't return two messages yesterday asking him to fill us in."
And therein lies the issue. 527s can't be connected to a campaign. Obviously, the Knox people are crying foul.
However, I think the likelihood that we are about to start seeing far more pointed attack ads is very, very high, be them from a 527 or from one of Knox's opponents with ad money to spend.
Comments (11)
Brady will do the ethical thing and not go ahead with this illegal 527. When I think of clean, focused, progressive government I think of Bob Brady.
Who cares if he has a case of the Schwarzenegger*. He's one of us and that's all that matters.
* not being able to pronounce the name of the place you're running for office in.
Posted by Patricio | April 26, 2007 1:22 AM
rotflmao. Brady and ethics are like oil and water.
It is funny to watch the party hacks, I mean machine, squirm. Everyone is terrified they are going to loose their spot on the gravy train.
Posted by Anonymous | April 26, 2007 6:02 AM
What are Shady Brady and Lazy Fattah afraid of? That the party is over and their gravy train has derailed?
The voters of Philadelphia have had enough of their BS and want a change. Now.
Posted by Anonymous | April 26, 2007 6:37 AM
So let me get this straight. We have campaign finance laws that have hamstrung candidates who happen not to be millionaires. Even with the built in exception, they are unable to raise money within the limits to compete.
So, when people take matters into their own hands and begin to take action to STOP KNOX, Tommy and his paid gang of convicted thugs cry foul?
Give me a break. Level the playing field and bring on the 527's!
Posted by Jill | April 26, 2007 8:45 AM
Well done Jill.
Did I miss something, though? Is Talmadge a Brady staffer or campaign official?
I might be wrong, but just because he is the treasurer of a 527 organization does not preclude his first amendment to support who he, in his individual capacity, wishes to. I've seen elected officials lining up behind each of these candidates and offering endorsements and noone criticizes them for speaking on one's behalf or raising or spending money on their behalf.
Knox and the Knoxies are scared because now they see that the playing field will be levelled. The self-righteous, arrogant BS they spin with those personal millions he took from the big corporations taking from the working man will now be challenged and the people fully informed. (BTW--Seems to me that the big corporations may have found yet another loophole to gain control in politics, it just takes long term planing--for example, if Knox earns millions from private companies in single years leading up to an election, he can turn aroung and use those corproate golden parachutes to buy an election and give big corporate america influence (even though corporate contributions are precluded under any election law) but the other candidates are limited to form whom and how they can raise funds--sounds to me like big corporations have found a way to plant candidates through long term maneuvers that are exempt from the laws, again screwing the regular, working man from having a voice)
I hope that these groups give the candidates who have not profited personally to the tune of millions of dollars off the backs of working people for the past few decades a way to combat the Knoxies misinformation.
Posted by Voice of the People | April 26, 2007 9:16 AM
I'm tired of both Knox and Brady and have decided to vote for Michael Nutter for Mayor.
Posted by Sick and Tired | April 26, 2007 9:53 AM
Did anyone read yesterday's Daily News. For the last time people! Tom $Knox$ is not an outsider he contributed thousands of dollars to Ed Rendell's war efforts and was rewarded handsomely with no-bid contracts at the Convention Center. It also gave him access to other city departments were he started shilling for his personal insurance companies. Cash $Knox$ out now! Oops my boss is coming... I'll check back with you guys later.
Posted by Son of Anonymous | April 26, 2007 9:58 AM
Brady is great at bringing people together--it's just too bad that in this case he couldn’t bring together people to form the 527 that aren't directly and publicly tied to his campaign. Of course if he doesn't understand vesting, it seems likely that the tax code is too complex for him too.
I like the 527 concept as a way to get the truth out on Knox and hopefully wake up those voters that have been numbed by the barrage of TV ads, but this appears to be a good idea poorly executed. If the 527 survives the inevitable legal challenges and actually gets ads onto the air, Knox will simply respond with accusations of sour grapes by the political machine Brady represents (“clean, focused, progressive”—was that sarcasm???), which will of course be at least partially true regardless of whether or not the hypothetical ads accurately depict the truth of Knox’s insider dealings, questionable ethics and abominable political skills.
Hopefully the net effect of all this noise will be to make at least some voters aligned with Knox stop, listen and realize that if they're looking for change the only true reformer in this race is Michael Nutter.
Posted by Tim | April 26, 2007 1:41 PM
Michael is a good choice, Dwight Evans is even better when it comes to altruistic policy making. So, why isn't Evans also in your discussion Tim?
I'll tell you why... BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO SHOT! As of last month, Nutter was polling single digits in the Black community. Embarassing! Outside of West Oak Lane and Germantown no one knows who Evan's is. By the way, as I have mentioned in other blogs, I was a Nutter volunteer when I and others discovered(by accident) that Nutter was still moonlighting down at the PA Con. Center. Some of us felt betrayed... here we are busting our asses on the street, going to smelly dirty transit stops with him; and he's trying to hold on to a cushy (no show) job at the Con. Center while making a half-hearted attempt at the Mayor's office. So, Dave, Tim, & Sick and Tired Michael has his flaws too. This is also why he lost almost a third of his volunteer staff. For the most part, we weren't treated all that well. Nonetheless, if he moves up in the polls to second place (legitimately) I will definitely support him. Anybody but Daddy $Knox$
Posted by Son of Anonymous | April 26, 2007 2:22 PM
Uh, Son of Anonymous, I have a feeling if you used your real name the Nutter campaign would not have you listed as ever volunteering for them. Nutter's position as Chair of the Convention Center was unpaid (he didn't even get a pension for it). Brady wouldn't even want that kind of "no show" job. You really should stop taking uncomfirmed, incorrect shots at Nutter, it hurts your already limited credibility.
Posted by Max | April 26, 2007 4:42 PM
Dear Max,
$Knox$ was paid 1 dollar a day during Rendell Administration. Do you think he would have kept that job if he could not make money shilling on the side to get city contracts? Michael didn't need to be paid for his Con. Center position. The fact that he has it and it is a union controlled building... allows Nutter access to other sreams of revenue.
Posted by Son of Anonymous | April 27, 2007 12:53 PM