Stop the presses.
Word has just come down that the Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Michael Nutter for mayor.
In the statement, FOP President Bob Eddis says: “We are very proud to endorse Michael Nutter today. We believe he is the candidate who will lead our city in the best way possible. His public safety initiatives in Philadelphia will improve the quality of life for every citizen. With Mr. Nutter’s nomination as the democratic candidate for Mayor, we have all won as a community.”
As my Aunt Madge used to say, he's a day late and a dollar short.
When it counted -- in the Democratic primary -- the FOP endorsed Bob Brady for mayor, shunning Nutter.
It's not a surprise the union backed Brady. The FOP carries the patina of being a law enforcement group, but it is a union at heart.
It's endorsement tends to go not to the candidate who will be toughest on crime, so much as kind to the union when it sits down for contract negotiations.
Brady was the most pro-union of a generally pro-union bunch of Democratic candidates so he got the FOP nod in the primary. (Not that it did him much good.)
-- Tom Ferrick
Comments (2)
Thanks for telling it like it is. Who cares what the FOP says? The FOP is looking for a candidate who will pay heavily and not ask for accoutability. Let's ask people who really care about Philadelphia residents. What do the doctors and nurses say?
Posted by Anonymous | June 28, 2007 9:51 AM
Posted on June 28, 2007 09:51
I don't know, I think it's important that the FOP publicly support the presumptive mayor, especially given that the current mayor and police commissioner are aggressively trash-talking his policies in advance. Public FOP support, however nominal, might help keep them from poisoning the water for Nutter.
Posted by Andrew | June 29, 2007 1:15 PM
Posted on June 29, 2007 13:15