POLS ON THE STREET: Canuso Retires As City GOP Chair

BY JOE SHAHEELI/ Republican City Committee chairman Vito Canuso, Esq., brought an end to the civil war that has stymied the growth of the Republican City Committee in a city its young Turks believe is ready for wholesale conversion by disenchanted Democratic voters.

He did so Tuesday night at the annual pre-primary gala at Cannstatter by announcing his intention to retire from his long held post as Chairman, with the suggestion — sure to be adopted when the Republican City Committee meets in little over a week — his successor be strong man State Rep. John Taylor (R-Kensington).

A standing ovation followed as the enthusiastic crowd understood his reason, a major move designed to bring an end to a two year tug of war between party factions. Joe DeFelice will be the new executive director. Michael Meehan, Esq., will remain as Republican counsel. Taylor has indicated he will fill out the remainder of Canuso’s term, but expects to be replaced when the Republican City Committee reorganizes for a new term. In the process, it is reported, GOP headquarters will move to Mayfair.

Canuso’s gesture was appreciated in Harrisburg as well. GOP State Dir. Rob Gleason said, “I have always had an open-door policy for anyone who wants to help build the Republican Party in Philadelphia. The State Party has made unprecedented investments to help build the Party and I am glad to continue our work in the City to help great local candidates like Danny Alvarez, Terry Tracy, Anne Marie Coyle and Judge Ken Powell and our statewide ticket in 2013 and 2014. We are committed to building the Philadelphia Republican Party now and in the future.”

Republican candidate for District Attorney Danny Alvarez and City Controller Terry Tracy sounded full of optimism, reminding old timers of the Specter-Gola ticket of three decades ago. They called for the new united Party to reach out to dissatisfied Democrats to support them in November. Both have departed from the old Republican campaign strategy of waiting until Labor Day ends to begin campaigning.

Alvarez is flinging arrows at DA Seth Williams with the idea of drawing some of Seth’s base away. He said, “We are made the butt of jokes and known as ‘Killadelphia.’ We are perceived as people content with corruption.”

Tracy signaled his Democratic opponent is already eyeing his role as the next Mayor, “the destructive symptom of one-party rule. In other words, the voter is taken for granted.”

SEN. STACK READY TO ANNOUNCE?

Not only looking over the field of officially announced entrants into the race to win the Democratic nomination for Governor, Congressman Allyson Schwartz (D-Phila.) continues to build her gubernatorial campaign team with a mind to the expected entry of State Sen. Michael Stack (D-Northeast).

That is what has convinced her to hire Obama Pennsylvania campaign alum Pat Millham, who handled the role of Obama’s political director in the state. That role has given him an insight on where to build, how to draw on Obama supporters to help Schwartz, and a sense of where the strengths are for Stack. One of his primary objectives is to defuse the campaign of Stack, who will be the city’s only candidate in the race, if he enters.

Insiders with Stack have leaked the fact the Senator has acquired financial commitments from several deep-pocketed supporters and will announce shortly. His entry into the race, backed by the endorsement of Congressman and Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady, as favorite son, will hobble her campaign and maybe cripple it. The Senator has been spending weekends and holidays traveling around the state and getting chits which should ensure him the state party’s nomination. It’s a case of swinging back from the way-left world of liberalism to a more-moderate candidate, seen as a winner by pollsters.

CORBETT TAPS McDERMOTT AGAIN FOR NAVIGATION

Gov. Tom Corbett has reappointed James T. McDermott, Jr., to the Navigation Commission, and also as Philadelphia Regional Port Authority executive director.
Apart from that, the Governor’s appointments and nominations continue to leave Philadelphia talent high and dry.

WHO WILL REPLACE JUSTICE MELVIN?

The resignation of suspended State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin now leaves Gov. Tom Corbett with less than 90 days to fill the vacancy she left on Pennsylvania’s highest court. Her letter of resignation was submitted a letter to the Governor on Mar. 25, announcing “with deep regret and a broken heart” May 1 as her resignation date.
Once the Governor has chosen a nominee, the Senate must confirm the person by a two-thirds vote. That person will then fill the vacancy until January 2016. The position for seventh justice on the court will be up for election in November 2015.

Since political rules and traditions which permitted the use of employees in reelection campaigns have changed and are now prohibited, the former justice and her sister, Janine Orie, were found guilty of continuing the practice.

O’BRIEN WON’T WILT UNDER D.N. BLAST

They say you haven’t truly arrived in the political big leagues until you have experienced some nasty negative ink. Long-time Republican Commissioner Tim O’Brien received his baptism recently when the Daily News ran a negative story involving his personal life. He’s joined the club of other political players in the country who have had the uncomfortable experience of being splattered on the printed wall. But it’s not a deal- or career-breaker. It’s how you respond.

O’Brien is a political product of the city’s river wards where pols don’t break very easily. We see O’Brien to continue to make noise in GOP circles. Look for the GOP to benefit by his return to the political arena.

ONLY ONE POLL COUNMTS ON ELECTION DAY!

We couldn’t let this primary go by without calling up one poll that shows how misleading a poll can be.

In a poll conducted by Controller challenger Brett Mandel’s team, it shows Mandel leading incumbent Philadelphia Controller Alan Butkovitz 27% to 23% with 46% of likely Democratic primary voters are undecided.

Four hundred premier primary voters were interviewed by DC-based Thirty-Ninth Street Strategies.

“Mandel’s name identification is about the same as Butkovitz, which should be worrisome for an incumbent who has held the City Controller’s office for over seven years,” said pollster Marc Silverman. “Mandel is in position to score an upset victory over Butkovitz if he has the resources necessary to effectively communicate with voters in the expensive Philadelphia media market.”

That sounds ominous, but the poll doesn’t indicate the odds are the undecided 46% will take their cues from their neighborhood Democratic committeeperson who has endorsed Butkovitz, who has been serving as Controller since his election in 2005.

UNION TAKES LIQUOR PRIVATIZATION TO MEDIA

Wendell Young IV, president of the UFCW Wine & Spirits Council, and head of Local 1776, which represents liquor-store clerks, has taken the privatization fight to the public via radio and television. His union expects to spend over $1 million to get the right message through to the voters. It seems to be working, since the privatization push by Gov. Corbett appears to be losing steam.

CASTOR DROPS OUT OF GUV PRIMARY

Montgomery Co. Commissioner Bruce Castor, Jr. has discovered what other potential Republican would-be challengers to Gov. Tom Corbett are learning. The money well is dry. It’s been drained off by Tom Corbett and his major fundraising bucket brigade, led again by Tom Asher.

So Castor has begged off challenging the incumbent in the next gubernatorial primary. His reasons were just and many, but the inability to garner the millions of dollars needed put the last nail in the box he found himself in.