ELEPHANT CORNER: Toomey And Williams – A Not-So-Odd Couple

ACROSS-THE-AISLE friendship has formed between Republican US Sen. Pat Toomey and Democratic State Sen. Anthony Williams.

US SEN. PATRICK TOOMEY was in Philadelphia on Saturday morning at the Myers Recreation Center at 58^th & Chester to join Pennsylvania STATE SEN. ANTHONY WILLIAMS to kick off the Summer of Peace youth basketball and other programs designed to find constructive activities for neighborhood children. Toomey and Williams were joined by COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL whose district includes the Myers Center. Other Philadelphia politicos included US Congressman and head of the Philadelphia Democratic Party BOB BRADY, and SHERIFF JEWELL WILLIAMS. Toomey surprised the children when he joined them on the basketball court. Toomey, we understand, was asked personally by Williams to come to the event. This is consistent with Williams’ history of reaching across the aisle in Harrisburg. Similarly, Toomey, as we have seen during his time in Washington, is willing to work with Democrats to get important legislation passed.

Last Thursday, the Philadelphia Republican Leadership Council held its most recent installment of its monthly breakfast speaker series. The featured speaker was FARAH JIMENEZ, the President and CEO of the People’s Emergency Center – a comprehensive social-service agency that serves homeless families. Before arriving at PEC, Jimenez spent 13 years at the helm of Mt. Airy USA, a nonprofit real-estate development corporation, which under Jimenez transformed the neighborhood’s long-blighted commercial corridor into a thriving dining and retail destination. In 2006, PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH appointed Jimenez to a five-year term on the Community Development Advisory Board of the US Treasury Dept.’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. Jimenez is also a regular panelist on “Inside Story”, a weekly public-affairs show on 6ABC in Philadelphia.

Jimenez spoke primarily on how we Republicans need to do to change – not our ideas and values, but rather how we deliver the message. She noted she is frequently criticized by other minority individuals for her unabashed and unapologetic membership in the Republican Party. Also, she noted few nonprofit executives are Republicans. Her not-for-profit colleagues for the most part see Republicans as uncaring. She disagrees. She believes we care about the poor and disadvantaged. There are people who are ill, handicapped or otherwise challenged that need help to get through the day. Other disadvantaged people would be better served with programs that are short-term in nature and designed to help them get out the spiral of poverty.

Jimenez’s name recently has been thrown around as a possible mayoral candidate in 2015. At this time, it appears she is not interested, but some members of the herd remain hopeful.

The drama in Washington continues. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA is besieged by rather uncomfortable stories involving the IRS, Benghazi and the surveillance of Americans by the NSA. The latest drama surrounds the dissing of the Obama Administration by the Chinese and Russians. Both countries rebuffed efforts of the administration to have EDWARD SNOWDEN, the man who leaked classified information, returned to the United States. One thing would be for these countries to push back on the United States – that is expected. However, the rather-blunt refusals to extradite Snowden done publicly by top officials are disquieting. I believe this behavior is a sign our competitors see our government as weak. The perception that the United States is weakening is not only bad for us, but for our allies and the fragile countries that rely upon our strength and largesse. While I do take some satisfaction that my low expectations foreign-policy expectations for this administration appear warranted, I do not relish the profile of the United States being diminished.

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