April 25-May 1, 2002

city beat

Primary Colors

The primary is back where it started

by Daryl Gale

A couple of weeks ago Guvwatch reported on the ruling by a panel of federal judges that struck down Pennsylvania’s redistricting law and threw a monkey wrench into campaigns all over the state. The judges, citing case law that requires states to draw congressional district maps as evenly sized as possible, ruled that the population deviation among the state’s districts under the plan was too wide and therefore unconstitutional. That brought up the very real possibility that the primaries could have been delayed until June, July or even later, with all the assorted political ramifications that would go along with a protracted campaign.

On Tuesday, that same panel of judges stayed its ruling, allowing the primaries to go on as scheduled on May 21. Politicians from both sides of the aisle say they're happy the primary won't be delayed, but the Democrats are still angry about the redistricting map, which they say was a naked attempt at a power grab by the GOP.

On Monday, Senate Minority Floor Leader Robert J. Mellow from Lackawanna County filed an amicus brief with the court asking for a stay of the order, which he got Tuesday. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's happy about it.

"The Senator filed the amicus brief because a stay of the order was the lesser of many evils," said Mellow spokesperson Steve Kniley. "A delay in the primaries was unacceptable, and all the other options were worse. We're glad of the ruling, to be sure, but it shouldn't have been necessary in the first place."

Neil Cashman, executive director of the state Democratic party, seconds that emotion.

"Given the other possible scenarios, we're not happy, but we're willing to live with it," Cashman said. "Of course we're happy the primary won't be delayed. People would have been disenfranchised by a wacky summer election. This was a situation created by a Republican power grab, and they played fast and loose with the Constitution."

The Republicans are claiming victory too, and say they have a new revised map in the hands of the court. That map will be considered at a May 8 hearing.

Steve Drachler, spokesperson for Republican House Majority Leader John Perzel of Philadelphia, says the court ruling is good for everyone, including the taxpayers.

"What the court did was ensure that the primary will go on as scheduled," Drachler said. "So we're happy about that. If they hadn't delayed the ruling, the time frame would have allowed only a few weeks to completely set up new elections at an estimated cost of $20 million in taxpayer money."

Political consultant Larry Ceisler, who testified as a witness in the federal court hearing, says the delay is only temporary, and we could end up reliving the entire episode in two years.

"The Republicans turned in a bad plan," Ceisler said. "In two years there could be new districts, or the court could say this map doesn't work either. The lines are drawn, but the new map has not passed constitutional scrutiny."

And what about our boys on the front lines, whose primary race for governor teetered in the balance for two weeks? Ed Rendell's press secretary Dan Fee says his camp is raring to go.

"It makes us happy," Fee says, in the understatement of the year. "This is what we've been planning for, a May 21 primary. Our opinion polls show that we have the momentum going in, so we're ready."

Repeated calls to Bob Casey Jr.'s campaign were not returned by press time, but we can only assume they're just as ready. Let the games begin!