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Also this issue: The Bell Curve What Are the Odds? |
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May 16-22, 2002
political notebook
It was high drama Monday night for Democrats at their annual primary election fundraiser at the sheet metal workers union hall, where the lines for both the Bob Casey Jr. and Ed Rendell campaigns were drawn.
The curtain opened with Democrats whispering about the tractor-trailer parked outside with a banner bearing remarks made by Rendell adviser David L. Cohen to the Inquirer last year about the impact of ward leaders in a governor's race.
"Ward leaders only matter if you are going to run for judge or sheriff, but for the job of governor they are irrelevant," the banner read.
The word irrelevant was printed in bold red.
No one took responsibility for the banner and truck, although Rendell supporters suspected it was Casey supporters.
More nasty moves ensued when Rendell took the stage and was drowned out by cries of "Casey! Casey!"
A fight followed this action on the stage when Casey supporters tried to put up a Casey banner and Rendell supporters tried to take it down.
The banner managed to make it up, but more rude behavior occurred when state Sen. Vincent Fumo took the stage to introduce Casey and was hissed at. Fumo stepped back and refused to continue unless it stopped.
It was then that U.S. Rep. and Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady stepped forward and demanded the crowd to behave.
“We are all Democrats! The opposition is the Republicans!” Brady yelled out.
Later, guests were free to roam the party.
Talk turned to the ward leader fight in the 21st Ward, which encompasses Roxborough and Manayunk.
Joe Quigley Jr. is the ward leader and is challenged by former AFL-CIO President Joe Rauscher and lawyer Lou Agre.
Quigley, a retired Verizon worker who has been the ward leader for 13 years since he replaced Municipal Court Judge Robert Blasi, has one of the largest wards, with 45 divisions representing 30,342 voters.
Why the competition?
"They both want jobs," said Quigley.
Rauscher, who is now consulting for the AFL-CIO, said he wants to lead the ward because it lacks activity and should have more respect than it's getting.
Agre, who stressed that he is not running for judge, said that he liked Quigley but that it was time for a change.
"This is between me and Rauscher," said Agre, who is also a committeeman. "Quigley won't get enough votes."
Quigley criticized Agre because he said he could never get himself a committee partner for his division.
"But now he asked his wife," said Quigley.
Agre said that Quigley, also a committeeman, filed his papers in the wrong division.
"Yeah, I did. It's no big deal," said Quigley. " I'm trying to take care of all the ward business, and I moved from one division to another, and these guys can't even imagine what's involved."
Earlier Monday, Casey campaigned in Philadelphia with his wife, Terese, and AFSCME leader Tom Cronin, and later he met local firefighters. The firefighters union endorsed Casey last February.
After his appearance at the union hall, Casey was honored at a party hosted by Councilwoman Marian Tasco, state Sen. Shirley Kitchen and state Rep. LeAnna Washington.
State Sen. Vincent Hughes also endorsed him on Monday.
Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney is more than peeved at some of the commercials that the Casey camp is running out in the western part of the state.
Timoney, who resigned last December to take a job with a private security firm in Manhattan, had wanted to stay neutral with both Rendell and Casey.
"I'm friendly with Vince Fumo. He has been good to me, and Ed is the one who brought me here," said Timoney, who was lured to Philadelphia from New York in 1998 by then-Mayor Rendell. "But those commercials are disgraceful."
Timoney said that he has an issue with police officers in the commercials calling Rendell a liar and saying that he did not care about cops and families.
"That is just wrong," said Timoney.
To counter those commercials, Timoney now appears in a new commercial supporting Rendell.
While Rovner is out campaigning for Rendell, he is also out campaigning for himself.
Rovner is running for the House seat currently held by Republican Lita Cohen, in the 148th District in Montgomery County. Cohen is not seeking re-election. Rovner is challenged by Democrat Karen Kaskey in the primary and by Republican Melissa Murphy Weber. A former assistant district attorney with Rendell back in the old days, Rovner has his own radio show, Bob Rovner Talks to the Stars.
Other members of the Rovner family are running for office.
Howard Rovner, Bob's brother, is running against incumbent Republican state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, also in Montgomery County, and Steven Rovner, son of Bob, is running for a seat on state committee.
