Pyramid Scheming

by Mary F. Patel

Center City Residents Association (CCRA) celebrated its 60th anniversary last week at the Pyramid Club, and political candidates took advantage of voters who could be swayed one way or another.

For example, state Sen. Vincent Fumo, up for re-election, made an unprecedented appearance early in the evening and spent time chatting with Melanie Hopkins, former fiancée of the late City Councilman Thacher Longstreth. Hopkins has since moved out of the Rittenhouse Hotel condo she once shared with Longstreth and is now in new digs at the Ritz-Carlton. Since she is still in Fumo's senatorial district, she is a potential vote.

Fumo's commercials are up and running on local cable stations. They picture him with District Attorney Lynne Abraham and Gov. Ed Rendell publicly combating illegal guns; Fumo also appears in a family's kitchen serving them dinner. The ad has become fodder for Fumo opponent Anne Dicker. Her campaign operatives have sent around the spot on YouTube with the tag line Does Vince Fumo think Philadelphians are stupid?

Dicker's analogy is that Fumo supported the NRA back in 1994 against the city's assault weapons ban. Dicker was not seen at the CCRA event, but incumbent state Rep. Babette Josephs made the scene and gave a House citation to CCRA followed by a lengthy speech about her longtime involvement with the group. Since first serving in the 182nd District back in 1984, Josephs, a Democrat, has won some difficult primaries and now faces three challengers, who include Larry Farnese, Peggy Banaszek and Bob Gormley, a community activist in Grays Ferry and member of the executive board of Local 98 Electricians Union. Gormley is expected to be heavily funded by Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty, who is running against Fumo.

Josephs enthusiastically introduced Banaszek to some of the guests that evening. The more candidates in the mix, the better for Josephs, although Farnese disputed that equation during various Christmas parties last year, because he felt he has enough votes to beat everyone in the April Democratic primary. Farnese is now seeking two seats in Harrisburg, Josephs' and Fumo's.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was another campaign stop for politicians last Saturday night. At the Loews Hotel in Center City, Mayor Michael Nutter and U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak gave remarks at the annual dinner that attracted a smaller crowd than usual.

Nutter is still the newbie on the block and is managing to enamor people — for now. Sestak, a Democrat running for his second term in Congress, gave a generic speech about equality. Meanwhile, Farnese's campaign manager, Renee Gilinger, circulated nominating petitions to get Farnese on the ballot against Fumo.

"It's all about options," said Gilinger. "If you have no signatures, you have no options. I've been knocking on doors for six days and there is a lot of enthusiasm for Larry running for Senate."

The only highlight of the evening was the Equality Award given to longtime gay activist and philanthropist Mel Heifetz and the William Way Community Center.

In the early part of the evening outside the hotel, transgender activists gathered for a quiet protest against HRC's failure to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) bill last October that excluded the transgender community.

An original bill that included transgenders was made into two bills by openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank because he didn't feel the inclusive transgender bill would pass.

The Republicans are Coming

U.S. House Democrats may be starting to feel the pressure right about now, particularly the less-seasoned ones vying for a second term. In 2006, Democrats who won the House campaigned on the anti-war vote and the wishful promise that if they were elected, they would immediately pull the troops out of Iraq.

Of course, that has not happened. Only the president has the power to end the war, and Congress is still funding the war.

Some Republicans, who have family in Iraq, say the surge is working and that the war is politically and militarily successful. They have organized to beat House Democrats.

Iraq Veteran Families for Congress (IVFC) formally made themselves known earlier this year and are supporting 11 Republican Iraq veterans for national congressional seats. And as part of the movement, Marine Corps. Reserve Col. Thomas Manion is running against U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. Murphy was first elected in 2006 as part of the new wave of anti-war Democrats, and he is also an Iraq war veteran. Manion's son, Travis Manion, a 26-year-old Marine, was killed last year in Iraq.

The Manion/Murphy race looks to be combative. By the fall, the economy may have picked up and will no longer be the focus while the war may come back into play with voters.

For their part, the IVFC is seeking donations through its Web site and expects to raise substantial funds. The organization was founded by Kieran Michael Lalor, who is running for a congressional seat in New York. William Russell is running against U.S. Rep. John Murtha in this state. Other IVFC candidates are Charlie Summers in Maine, Lee Zeldin in New York, Wayne Harmon in Indiana, Paul Phillips in Ohio, Duncan Hunter and Eric Egland in California, Allen West in Florida, William Breazeale in North Carolina and Chris Edenfield in Georgia.

(rcpatel@aol.com)