ELEPHANT CORNER: Clam Bake Bolsters Philly GOP

September 1, 2017 | Filed under: Featured News,Photo Gallery,Politics,Subject Categories | Posted by: Sana

THE BILLY MEEHAN Clam Bake drew 1,000 attendees this year, said RCC Chairman Mike Meehan. L-R were National Republican Committee Co-Chair Bob Paduchik, Pennsylvania Republican Party Chair Val DiGiorgio, State Sen. David Argall and Philadelphia’s own Joe McColgan.

The annual Billy Meehan Clam Bake was held on Sunday, Aug. 27 at Cannstatter on Academy Road. The event started at 4 p.m. and ran until 7 p.m. Keynote speaker was BOB PADUCHIK, Republican National Committee Co-Chair. Republican City Committee CHAIRMAN MIKE MEEHAN was the master of ceremonies for the event named for his father, BILLY MEEHAN.

Meehan asked this year’s candidates to speak to the crowd, including four candidates for state appellate court openings: Supreme Court JUSTICE SALLIE MUNDY for Pennsylvania Supreme Court; Superior Court candidates Northampton Common Pleas Court JUDGE EMIL GIORDANO, Blair County Common Pleas Court JUDGE WADE KAGARISE and Lancaster County DISTRICT ATTORNEY CRAIG STEDMAN. Candidates for Commonwealth Court Allegheny attorney PAUL LALLEY and Delaware County Common Pleas Court JUDGE CHRISTINE

HANGING OUT at the Clam Bake were, L-R, Ward Leaders Calvin Tucker and Craig Melidosian with Chou Sovinn.

FIZZANO-CANNON were unable to be there.

Philadelphia candidates in attendance were BETH GROSSMAN for district attorney, MIKE TOMLINSON for city controller and VINCE FURLONG for Common Pleas. Municipal Court JUDGE BRAD MOSS was there as he is up for retention this year. Furlong and Murray are both currently sitting in the seats for which they are running. However, as they were appointed to the bench by GOV. TOM WOLF to fill out an unexpired term for a retired judge, they must run to keep their seats – unlike Moss, who was elected to his position.

Next year’s gubernatorial candidates STATE REP. RICK SACCONE (R-Allegheny) and STATE SEN. SCOTT WAGNER (R-York). STATE SEN. DAVID ARGALL (R-Schuylkill), who is exploring a run for

SEVERAL UNIONS support the Philadelphia GOP in a bipartisan spirit, among them Electricians Local 98’s table here.

lieutenant governor, made the trip from the Hard Coal Region for the event.

Pennsylvania SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE MIKE TURZAI (R-Allegheny), who is rumored to be exploring a run for governor next year, was not there. It is rumored that Saccone will back out of the race if Turzai formally announces his run.

Our elected Philadelphia Republicans, including STATE REPS. JOHN TAYLOR and MARTINA WHITE (both R-Northeast), along with City COUNCILMEN DAVID OH (at Large), AL TAUBENBURGER (at Large) and BRIAN O’NEILL (10th Dist.), were there.

Party officials, including Republican Party of Pennsylvania CHAIRMAN and Philadelphia native

L-R WERE Chuck Calter of the Fraternal order of Police, Tim O’Brien, 62nd Ward Leader Bill Heeney and Jack Rushton of the Philadelphia Joint Board.

VAL DiGIORGIO were in attendance along with PAGOP Montgomery County CHAIRMAN BILL DONAHUE and PAGOP Delaware County CHAIRMAN SKIP REILLY. DiGiorgio addressed the crowd and emphasized the importance of supporting our statewide appellate-court candidates.

CONGRESSMEN LOU BARLETTA (R-Luzerne), a still-rumored candidate for US Senate then, arrived after the presentations but worked the crowd. On Tuesday, Barletta announced his candidacy for US Senate against incumbent Democrat BOB CASEY.

Now that he has announced, I expect the number of Republicans rumored to be lining up to replace him in his 11th Congressional District seat will announce their candidacy. The rumor mill has four names so far, including STATE REPS. STEPHEN BLOOM

L-R, SEASONED Ward Leader Mike Cibik greeted Young Republicans Bryan Lieb, treasurer, and Ross Wolfe, president.

(R-Cumberland) and TARAH TOOHIL (R-Luzerne), businessman ANDREW LEWIS and former Revenue Secretary and businessman DAN MEUSER.

Bloom is the only one to date to file a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Aug. 1.

Friday afternoon, Aug. 24, about 50 Philadelphia Republicans demonstrated outside of US Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-Pa.) Philadelphia office at 2nd & Walnut Streets. Yes, a novel concept – a demonstration in support of an elected official.

The event was organized by Philadelphia Young Republican CHAIRMAN ROSS WOLFE. Most of the “demonstrators” were YRs, belying the assertion that millennial are as left as Vermont SEN. BERNIE

STATEWIDE candidates were working the crowd, among the Judge Mary Murray, who is seeking a slot on Superior Court. L-R were Joe Botts, Joe Schmidt, Stephen Nguyen, Murray and Laura Le.

SANDERS. There were a few oldsters in the group, including WARD LEADERS BARBARA COXE (8th), MATT WOLFE (27th) and DENISE FUREY (46th).

The YRs choose Friday because Republicans tend to have jobs and if they are going to get out of work, it is a lot easier to do so for a 4 pm event of a summer afternoon. Almost every week there are anti-Toomey demonstrators in the middle of the week and middle of the workday. I guess they have tolerant employers. More likely is that they do not have traditional jobs or are paid demonstrators. It was rumored that many of the anti-Toomey demonstrators at Toomey’s 2016 debate with his opponent Democrat KATIE McGINTY were paid by Democratic organizations.

ONE OF Philadelphia’s most-successful Republican leaders of the 21st century, former House Speaker John Perzel, L, joined his family at the Clam Bake: from L, Danielle Macera, Delaney Macera Perzel, Dalton Macera Perzel and Sam Perzel.