Beating Vince

Can a real candidate take on Fumo? Please?

by Robert Cappella

Those of us who elected Mayor Michael Nutter in a wave of change are now setting our sights on the fight for Vince Fumo's1st District seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate.

After 30 years in the Senate, Fumo is arguably the most powerful Democrat in Pennsylvania.In Philadelphia, Fumo's mark on local politics is undeniable. State representatives, members of City Council, ward leaders and even local committee people still proudly call themselves "Fumocrats."

But this year is different.This time, along with an impressive legislative record and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for Philadelphia, Fumo runs for re-election while charged with 139 counts of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice. Independent-minded voters are ready to rally behind a challenger who can beat Fumo. Unfortunately, most of us are still waiting for that challenger to come forward.

Fumo's lone announced opponent, Anne Dicker, is a well-meaning newcomer with a short history in Philadelphia and little name recognition in the vast majority of the sprawling 1st District.

Despite her energy and enthusiasm, this is hardly a campaign that can take down the mighty Fumo empire. You simply cannot chop down a redwood with a butter knife.

There have been other Philadelphians, both better prepared and better financed, who have flirted with the idea of taking on Fumo this election cycle.Lawyers, labor leaders, financial experts, education specialists and former lawmakers have all considered challenging Fumo. Yet, they all declined because they know the foundation of any election is the numbers.

Despite the FBI, an incumbent like Fumo has a solid base. More than one challenger splits the opposition, ensuring a victory for the incumbent. And because even the least known candidate in any race is likely to get a significant percentage of the total votes cast, Fumo's lone announced challenger literally stands in the way of a progressive revolution in the 1st District.

The irony is chilling. While Dicker wants to be the candidate we have all been waiting for, some see her campaign as the reform movement's suicide pill.

In this scenario Dicker's stubborn refusal to yield to a well-funded, well-known Democrat this spring could ultimately relinquish this seat to the Republican Party for the first time in decades. Make no mistake, every time Anne Dicker makes a speech, John Perzel licks his chops.

While some wonder if Dicker was encouraged to run by allies of Fumo to scare off otherwise credible candidates who know how to count the numbers, I believe she has her heart in the right place. And her energy and enthusiasm should be part of a more viable campaign to defeat Fumo.

But running exclusively as the anti-Fumo candidate with little experience and even less money will not defeat a man who can point to schools, roads, courthouses and commercial corridors and say, "I made this happen." And with Fumo now leading the fight to re-site casinos, Dicker's only issue has been strategically deactivated.

The deadline for candidates to file is Feb. 12. With any luck, one well-meaning Philadelphian will put principles over personal pride so we can end Sen. Fumo's reign once and for all.

Robert Cappella is a musician living in Philadelphia.