CITY HALL SAM: Schwartz – The Opponent Corbett Hopes For

The Inquirer gave CONGRESSWOMAN ALLYSON SCHWARTZ a front-page story on her potential run for Governor. The story gushes about a poll that has her ahead of GOV. TOM CORBETT by 8 points. Insiders think the poll was commissioned by Gov. Corbett rather than the National Governors Association.

Although Schwartz plays well on the Main Line, she doesn’t play well in the mainstream of Pennsylvania’s blue-collar voters. Regardless of one’s position on abortion, the fact the Congresswoman ran a health clinic that performed abortions before elective office will not help a statewide candidacy.

Nonetheless, the Congresswoman is an excellent fundraiser. She may be trying to raise her profile and campaign bank account. But political investors want their contributions to count. So the gambit to raise funds could backfire, should she later decide to run against SEN. PAT TOOMEY for the US Senate.

Former mayoral candidate TOM KNOX hosted a fundraiser for COUNCILMAN BILL GREEN at his swanky 2 Liberty Place apartment. The event was nicely attended and included former STATE SEN. BOB ROVNER. Knox has been mentioned as a potential gubernatorial or mayoral candidate. Knox ran for Mayor in 2007. Had the election been two weeks earlier, he would be called Mayor Knox now. But the other candidates, including CONGRESSMAN CHAKA FATTAH, unleashed relentless attacks on the leader. The door was opened for MICHAEL NUTTER who went from fifth to first in a blink of the eye and became Mayor. Knox could run again – or help Green become Mayor.

BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN will maintain both her leadership position and her seat on City Council. Her former campaign consultant JOHN McDANIEL pleaded guilty in federal court to fraud. But COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE has asserted nothing will happen to Reynolds Brown for her ethics violations regarding campaign finance.

ABBE FLETMAN is garnering momentum in her bid to become a Common Pleas Court Judge. She was recently seen at Tiffany Diner in Northeast Philadelphia. She lives in Mount Airy but was raised in the Northeast.

BILL GAULT, the president of the Fire Fighters Union, took on Mayor Nutter once again. He held a press conference outside City Council decrying the Mayor’s unwillingness to pay the most-recent arbitration award. Two arbitration panels and one court ruling have mandated a contract for the firefighters. Although Nutter has finalized the FOP contract with JOHN McNESBY, he says the City can’t afford to pay the firefighters. He was joined by AFL-CIO PRESIDENT PAT EIDING and STATE SEN. MIKE STACK.