Chief of Staff Kenney?

"There may be a list, but I am not looking."

by Mary F. Patel

City Councilman Jim Kenney immediately squashed rumors that he was interested in becoming chief of staff to Michael Nutter should the former councilman be elected mayor in November's general election. Word has been circulating that Nutter has compiled a who's-who list of potential picks for his top aide, and that Kenney's name is on it.

"There may be a list, but I am not looking," says Kenney. "I can get my agenda passed with Nutter, I don't need to be his chief of staff."

Since his victory in the May primary, Nutter has kept mum about who he is considering for administration posts, considering it bad luck to discuss anything before the election.

"The daily rumor mill is always interesting, but we're in an election and we're not going to comment or speculate" about potential cabinet posts, Nutter said Tuesday night.

UP GOES FRAZIER: Supporters gathered at Bochetto's Very Well to back Jacqui Frazier-Lyde's quest to become a Municipal Court judge. Carol Wissell (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Still, the prospect of Kenney taking the job was all the rage at the Greater Philadelphia Film Office's annual production party last Monday night at Water Works restaurant.

Neither Kenney nor Nutter was there, but political types hung out at the outdoor bar where the Kenney rumor circulated. They surmised Kenney would take the job because it would be a way to get his legislation initiatives passed.

Joining the political types at the party, which was hosted by Film Office Executive Director Sharon Pinkenson, were a lot of film people, and some others who fit both categories, such as Mark Moskowitz, a key member of the Campaign Group. Moskowitz, along with Neil Oxman and Doc Sweitzer, devised the commercials for Nutter's campaign. Moskowitz, also a filmmaker, produced and directed the successful documentary Stone Reader, which debuted in 2002. Guests were looking for local actor Mark Webber, who just wrapped his film Explicit Ills last Sunday. Webber, who lived on the streets of Philly with his human-rights-activist mom, Cheri Honkala, wrote the film script as a tribute to his life. Now 27, he camped out on the steps of Mike Lemon Casting as a kid in those days and ended up being cast in 26 films.

In Sunday's last scene, Honkala, who gained national recognition for her march against George W. Bush and the war in Central Park during the 2004 presidential convention, organized the demonstration march down Market Street. Webber used a combination of actors and local activists protesting the high cost of housing and health care for the poor.

This and That

Retired boxers came out of the woodwork last Wednesday for former state Boxing Commissioner George Bochetto's fundraiser for Jacqui "Sister Smoke" Frazier-Lyde, who is running for Municipal Court judge in the November.

A Democrat who won the May primary, Frazier-Lyde is the daughter of local boxer "Smokin'" Joe Frazier. She became nationally known for her 2001 boxing match against Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali, in which, almost 20 years older, Frazier-Lyde held her own, but lost.

The fundraiser was held in the basement bar of Bochetto's law firm, which he calls Bochetto's Very Well. He built the bar as a protest against the smoking ban in public bars. Bochetto and firm associate Scott P. Sigman, who is running as a Republican for district attorney in 2009, assembled a cadre of boxer blasts from the past: former World Champion Charles Brewer; former World Champion and actor Tex Cobb, who trained in Joe Frazier's gym when he first started; boxing promoter Damon Feldman; and former World Champion Bam Bam Hines.

"But I am the world champion of this world," said Cobb, distinguishing himself from the pack.

Bochetto, who served as boxing commissioner under former Gov. Tom Ridge, also invited former boxing commissioner Jimmy Binns and New Jersey boxing commissioner Larry Hazard.

Not surprisingly, Joe Frazier did not attend his daughter's event. Frazier sued his daughter earlier this year, asking the court to force her to hand over the books and payroll records when she handled his boxing affairs as his manager. (Frazier-Lyde, who was trained by her father, handled his financial affairs from 1989 to 2004.) Frazier originally filed suit in April but withdrew prior to the May primary because he did not want to interfere with his daughter's campaign. Frazier refiled after Frazier-Lyde won the primary.

Bochetto did not seem to think Frazier-Lyde's suit would have any impact in November. "It is not a factor in anything I am doing for her," he said.

(rcpatel@aol.com)