Page 14 The Public Record • Januray 7, 2010 www.phillyrecord.com
With the New Year comes a new election cycle. There are several races to watch if you’re a Philly Elephant. Trunk Man is going to be so bold as to make a couple of too-early predictions which mean absolutely nothing. This week, I’ll talk about federal races where each Philadelphian will be voting in a United States Senate race as well as numerous congressional races. The race for the US Senate consists of a primary between incumbent Elephant-turned-Donkey ARLEN SPECTER and liberal Navy Admiral, CONGRESSMAN JOE SESTAK of Delaware Co. Specter, the consummate politician, has shown a strong ability to survive tough races against all odds. One needs only look to his election as a Republican to the Philly District Attorney’s office in 1966. In 2006, Sestak took on Delaware Co. powerhouse CURT WELDON and won a seat in Congress. Sestak is basing his race on the fact Arlen’s political stances have been all over the spectrum over the past several years. While the grassroots seem to be supporting the good Congressman, it seems as if the power team of OBAMA-BIDEN-CASEY-RENDELL will carry the day and help Specter win this primary to face former conservative CONGRESSMAN PAT TOOMEY. The General Election will be watched by everyone from a political neophyte in Alaska to the pundits in D.C. Recent polls show the incumbent tied to or trailing Toomey in a head-tohead matchup. While Toomey is from the RICK SANTORUM wing of the GOP – a wing the state recently rejected – he is running a fiscally focused campaign to which, in this time of tax-and-spend liberalism, most Pennsylvanian’s can relate. Trunk man’s prediction: Toomey wins. (Cont. Page 17)
Yay! It’s 2010! While I’m usually happy about the New Year because it gives me an excuse to drink champagne, hang out with friends and otherwise enjoy myself, I’m especially happy about this New Year because it means 2009 has come to an end. Finally. I know there are folks who are even more anxious than I that this year is coming to an end. I can’t say that I’ve had a worse year than Vince Fumo, who rung in the New Year at a federal correctional facility in Kentucky, or that I’ve had a worse year than Jose Carrasquillo, who learned if you’re the suspect in the rape of an 11-year-old, you can’t go home again, especially if home is Kensington and there’s a mob waiting to beat you down. But 2009 was a pretty nasty year and I’m happy to see it in my rearview mirror. Here’s a rundown of why 2009 might be one that we want to forget. Locally Grown Hands down, the biggest story in Philly’s political world was the conviction of Sen. Vince Fumo on 137 counts that included defrauding a charity, defrauding the Senate, defrauding a museum and destroying evidence. It was bad enough he did something that stupid. But what made it worse was what the Judge did in sentencing Fumo to just over four years in federal prison, a sentence he justified by saying the media had taken bringing down Fumo as its personal cause. If I were Corey Kemp or Rick Mariano, two politicos who (Cont. Page 18)
Yo! Here we go again with these military truisms from the internet for my military readers. Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons / You’ve never been lost until you’ve been lost at Mach 3 / The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire. Blue-water Navy truism: There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky / When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash / Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying club. What is the similarity between air-traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up, the pilot dies / Never trade luck for skill / The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation are: Why is it doing that? Where are we? and Oh, S_ _ _! / Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers / Progress in airline flying: Now a flight attendant can get a pilot pregnant / Airspeed, altitude and brains – two are always needed to successfully complete the flight / I remember when sex was safe and flying was dangerous. Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there! / Flashlights are tubular metal containers kept in a flight bag for the purpose of storing dead batteries / Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground who is incapable of understanding or being able doing anything about it / When a flight is proceeding incredibly well, something was forgotten / Just remember: If you crash because of weather, your funeral will be held on a sunny day / A pilot who doesn’t have any fear probably isn’t flying his plane to its maximum. There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime / If something hasn’t broken on your helicopter, it’s about to / You know your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal. As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, “What happened?” The pilot’s reply: “I don’t know, I just got here myself!”
SNOOPER’S COMMENTS: Where did the year 2009 get to? Can you believe it’s the year 2010 already? I wonder what this NEW YEAR will have in store for all of us. Last year saw so many of our celebrities get in some kind of serious trouble, and we definitely can expect more. The insane “WAR” will still continue, and it seems there will be no end in sight. Philadelphia will probably see more problems and, naturally, a few more “SCANDALS”. I sincerely hope 2010 will be a lot better; after all, what was worse than 2009? SNOOPER “THE PROPHET”: Write the following down, because it’s going to be very important in 2010. Philadelphia POLITICS will never be the same and you’re going to see all kinds of new faces in the political circus. Forget MR. WILSON GOODE, JR.; he is nothing like his beloved Father, HON. WILSON GOODE, one of Philadelphia’s better Mayors. Yes, MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER will win his reelection and there will be no surprise here. CITY COUNCIL will see new faces before 2010 is over; in fact, there’ll be ‘major changes’ there. THE B.R.T. will be changed, but it seems everyone has forgotten YOU, as a voter, will decide its fate. Don’t let them sell you a lot false rumors and false statements concerning THE B.R.T. There will definitely be a REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, because The Democrats can’t win! SPECIAL NOTE: Get ready, THE SNOOPER WILL WIN A MAJOR LOTTERY; watch! SNOOPER’S CONGRATULATIONS BUREAU: How about the MUMMERS’ PARADE? Everyone is still talking about it. I thought it was one of THE BEST and, I might add, the shortest yet. Congratulations are in order for THE MUR(Cont. Page 18)
JIM EISENHOWER, who in the past has run unsuccessfully for Attorney General in Pennsylvania, is on the short list of lawyers being considered for appointment as the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Also on the list are HUNTLEY PALMER and SHERYL KRAUSE. The two Democratic Senators from Pennsylvania, BOB CASEY and ARLEN SPECTER, were unable to agree on a single name and reportedly have submitted a short list to the White House. BOB BRADY, the Congressman from West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia, has several feathers in his cap. He can claim credit for keeping the Dad Vail Regatta, which has been a fixture on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. He also was strongly instrumental in raising the money for this year’s Mummer’s Parade. He also is to be praised for persuading former COUNCILMAN RICK MARIANO to return to City Hall where he had been threatening to jump from one of the City Hall windows. Brady is a big, energetic guy who maintains a crushing schedule. He is the Chairman of the Democratic Party, leader of the 34th Ward in West Philadelphia, Congressman from the 1st Congressional Dist., active with the Carpenter’s Union and a successful trouble-shooter for resolving various problems around the city. Any of these jobs would be a full-time job for an ordinary person. Brady manages all of them well while at the same time maintaining an unflappable composure. He also has a great sense of humor, which he expresses publicly on occasion while making speeches. The swearing-in ceremony of the officials who were elected or re-elected in last November’s election went pretty much according to the book. Oaths of office were taken by SETH WILLIAMS for District Attorney and by ALAN BUTKOVITZ on his reelection as Controller. JUDGE ADAM M. BELOFF was guest of honor at a dinner celebration given by CHRISTINE M. BELOFF, his wife. It was at McCormick’s & Schmidt’s across the street from City Hall and just up Broad Street from the Kimmel Center. Among those in attendance were JUDGE FAY STACK and her husband MIKE; MIKE MEEHAN, General Counsel to the Republican Party; and VITO CANUSO, chairman of the Republican Party. Warm speeches of congratulations were given by JIM DONELLY and CONNIE ROGERS. Among others in attendance were Municipal Court JUDGE JOE WATERS and Common (Cont. Page 17)