There have been mayoral forums put together by groups with issues ranging from design to senior citizens to lawyers to young urban professionals. And that's just this week.
It's great, of course, that this campaign has been focused so much on the issues, but covering it has been drab at times because of it.
Wednesday night makes up for all of that.
OK, so only one candidate on the stage is actually running in the May mayoral primary, but the forum after the screening of Tigre Hill's The Shame of a City at the Trocadero was a blast.
Consider: Chaka Fattah found himself sitting down next to too-young-to-run candidate Larry West and going back and forth with the 22-year-old and an audience that just sat through a movie that doesn't portray Fattah in a very good light for his role in the bug conspiracy that marred the 2003 campaign between John Street and Sam Katz. (Fattah was Street's campaign chairman).
"I now remember why I'm running against you," West said to Fattah.
Fattah (give him credit for manning up and showing) said that it's important that filmmakers make films like 'Shame.' Then he went on to spin the movie's theme into his own direction.
"We need to focus in on not just the shame of the city shown by this film, but what i think is the real shame of the city," Fattah said, launching into an attack on poverty, which has been the centerpiece of his campaign.
Council candidate Vern Anastasio was on stage, as well, but he mostly stayed out of the Fattah vs. West, Fattah vs. the Troc debate.
Fattah said that he knows John Street to be an honest politician and said he would seek an end to no-bid contracts.
And, then, in what may be the first time it's happened in the campaign, Fattah went a bit negative on one of his challengers.
He noted that Michael Nutter's role as chairman of the Convention Center board includes his having approved no-bid contracts and pointed out that Nutter is a ward leader and politician just like everyone else.
The thought that "Michael Nutter is not involved in politics is nonsense," Fattah said. "We just need to deal with reality here, we're all involved in politics." He went on to say that both he and Nutter are involved in politics in a "public-spirited way."
Nutter plays something of a hero in the documentary, talking about corruption in government. He has used the movie for fundraising, something that Fattah also questioned in an interview last night. There's questions as to whether the movie is an in-kind contribution and whether Nutter should have to report it; Nutter said he doesn't see it that way.
One interesting note: Omar Williams, the film's executive producer, is backing Fattah. He said he plans to vote for him and is looking into some sort of fundraiser for his Bala Cynwyd-based Dacua Communications to put together.
"Some of the mayoral candidates, Fattah and Brady, come off in a bad light," Williams said of the movie." I have seen through some of that [with Fattah]. I think his issues, I like what he's got to say."
[Photo credit: Rob Stuart]
"Omar Williams, the film's executive producer, is backing Fattah." - That is so disappointing. Did he even watch the movie?
More photos and story on my webpage, click on my name.
Posted by: HughE2030 | April 12, 2007 at 02:25 PM