FightforRoom215

More (yes, more) on Frank Keel

The blog was called a mouthpiece for Frank Keel last night, so what do we do first thing this morning? Talk more about Frank Keel.

Keel, after sending around two versions of his anti-Michael Nutter screeds yesterday, is in negotiations with Tom Knox's campaign to start doing some sort of PR work for them, according to an e-mail obtained by Metro.

Keel's asking for $10,000 for his work services. He swears he wasn't working for Knox when he sent his anti-Nutter message out yesterday.

Also this morning, make sure to tune into Radio Times. Jesus White is going to be on air later; Dave Davies is up now.

Knox takes over the Northeast

Bustleton and Grant avenues, 10:30 p.m., Saturday night.

Bob Brady for mayor signs are all over the Northeast, but this is something. I guess this was on purpose, but there's no way you can drive by this major five-point intersection without having drilled in your head that Tom Knox is a Democrat for Mayor.

Hear that Bob Brady? He's a Democrat.

Knox as Republican

A closer look at Bob Brady's "Knox is a Republican" attack.

Brady does have more than just the $2,000 Knox says his wife donated to "Arch Conservative" Rick Santorum and George Bush in recent years. Brady's campaign also points to Knox donating more than $13,000 to state and federal candidates for office since 1980, including $8,000 to state Republican since 1998.

Knox said last night that the money to Bush/Santorum was from his wife and that he's donated $500,000 to Democrats. And when you're worth millions like Knox is, what's $1,500? That's like me dropping $12 for a couple of Kobe beef sliders from Barclay Prime at this afternoon's Rittenhouse Row festival. Dee-lish.

It's enough to piss Brady off, though.

"I fight Bush everyday, he put our men and women in harm's way. I had to go back and forth this week to try to override his veto and he's supporting that guy and now he wants to be the mayor of a Democratic city?

"Why didn't he stay as a Republican?"

Brady's campaign also points to Knox running as a Republican in 1978 in Cheltenham Township and investing in Halliburton.

Clearly, Knox has supported Republicans, but not as much as he's supported Democrats. Does one outweigh the other? That's on the voters.

By the way, re: Rittenhouse Row festival, two Democrats were already out campaigning for the 2008 race against Babette Josephs in the 182nd legislative district (Center City): Larry Farnese and Peggy Banaszek.

Knox catches breaks: Smukler ad too hot for TV; Rendell says nice things

Ken Smukler's anti-Tom Knox commercial  has been passed on by two TV stations.

Seems Knox's lawyer ripped off an angry letter challening the legailty and truthiness of the ad. NBC10 and Channel 6 declined the ads. The Economic Justice Coalition for Truth's Alex Talmadge (who will testify in front of the Ethics Board today) says he's exploring his options, according to the Daily News.

A spokeswoman for WPVI, Caroline Welch, confirmed that Channel 6 had pulled the ad, but she said it was the result of an internal review that began before the station received Rosen's letter. She said management had "determined that there were claims made in this ad that needed to be substantiated."

Knox also got what we're sure will be thrown into his next ad: kind words from Gov. Ed Rendell. A day after Rendell handicapped the field for the Inky, calling Knox "abrasive," he had this to say to Dave Davies, appearing in today's Clout:

"Obviously neither Tom Knox nor anyone in the administration, myself included, single-handedly turned around our budget deficit," Rendell said, "but Tom was a very important and vital part of that initiative, and his work was responsible for significant cost savings and productivity enhancements.

"If he was elected mayor," the governor added, "he would know how to cut costs and wouldn't be afraid to kick some butt in the bureaucracy."

Not everything was so good for Knox in the Daily News today, though. From Jill Porter's column:

TOM KNOX calls himself a "reformer" who's going to purge corruption and cozy insider dealing from City Hall.

But this week he proved to be a hypocrite instead.

More from the White Tower: '527' Invasion: Veiled groups, stiff resistance

And, from the Blue Glass Fortress that houses Metro:

Verna supporters fire back at Knox

the Week that Was, with Common Pleas Court Judge Dan Erdos

The shark was only the beginning

Another group is joining with the Economic Justice Coalition for Truth to go after Tom Knox's past business practices.

We'll find out more about "Project 1,000+," an initiative being sponsored by the Muslim League of Voters, at a press conference Monday morning.

Their plan, according to a spokesperson, is to get people on the streets to "tell the truth about Tom Knox."

Knox endorsed — and snubbed

Wasn't able to make it to Tom Knox's press conference in West Philly this morning where he got the endorsement of Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and also declared who he planned to support for election to Council.

But, as The Next Mayor reports, only three of Knox's slate of candidates bothered to show: Blackwell, Vern Anastasio and Matt Ruben. And those two wouldn't commit to what seems the cause of the Blackwell-Knox alliance: Blackwell positioning herself for the Council presidency.

After the semi-snub, Knox's campaign announced its first media endorsement this afternoon, from El Hispano, a 48,000 bi-lingual weekly.

Michael Nutter got another media endorsement today, this time from the Northeast Times, according to the campaign. He also got the most important media endorsement of the campaign thusfar, from PhillySkyline.

The City Paper will announce its endorsement later this afternoon online and Dwight Evans just hosted a press conference with a large group of state and local lawmakers expressing their support.

Meanwhile, Bob Brady pulled down the endorsements from most of the city's blue-collar unions this morning. The full list here.

Unreported (but probably true) link between Doc and Knox

Not much reporting here except for my eyes, my memory and a Saturday afternoon drive on the Vine Street Expressway. UPDATE: Did the reporting and, while this isn't officially a Local 98 billboard, it was purchased by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Knox's name was added at Johnny Doc's suggestion, says Frank Keel.

A billboard on 676 which has been paid for by Local 98 for at least the last three ads is now shilling for both Tom Knox and Seamus McCaffery, who is running for a state judgeship. Left half of the billboard features Knox, right side for McCaffery.

The billboard featured a controversial "Local 98 Thanks Rick Santorum" message before his race last November against Bob Casey and most recently featured a straight ad for 98, the electrician's union headed by political powerbroker John Dougherty.

Mayorpalooza reported last week that 98 looked to be backing McCaffery. Doc and Knox pow-wowed over breakfast at Famous Fourth Street recently, too.

UPDATE: Frank Keel checks in to say that the billboard isn't purchased by Local 98 ... but by the National Electrical Contractors Association.

"John has influence, but it's NECA's decision," Keel writes. "Local 98 has not endorsed Tom Knox or anyone else at this time."

UPDATE 2: And, of course, "influence" means "John suggested adding Knox to the planned McCaffery billboard, whom NECA is supporting." Keel says Doc and Knox "have a great rapport" and many members of NECA and 98 have "expressed their intent" to vote for Knox.

Fattah's sights set on Knox, too

This might be the closest Chaka Fattah's campaign comes to attacking Knox...

An e-mail sent to supporters from Fattah media consultant David Axelrod paints the May 15 primary as a race between Fattah and Knox ("Fattah Can Beat Knox," says the subject line) and then paints Knox as a rich guy with no public service background who's donated to Republicans.

"Chaka is locked in a tight race against a millionaire insurance executive who's never served in elected office. Chaka's opponent has not been shy about spending his own money in political campaigns. In fact, a few years ago, Knox directed some of his dollars to the campaigns of Rick Santorum and George W. Bush."

It then points out Knox's ability to spend his fortune as the other candidates are limited to the new campaign finance limits as it looks for donations.

Fattah's campaign team are steadfast in their rule not to go negative on any of Fattah's oponents, no matter how much I'm sure many of them would like to. This might be all we get.

My money's on that changing the last week or so of the campaign.

Consider: Since the Tom Knox Bashfest began with Sunday's debate, the press has been dominated with Knox stories. Dwight Evans puts out a handful of policy papers hoping for media attention and how does he eventually get it? With $7 worth of hamburger buns from Wendy's for his "Where's the beef?" press conference.

A "hypocrite" hiring "goombahs"

Glad to have Kate Philips in the mix of mayoral candidate spokespeople for this gem on Tom Knox's hiring of a convicted felon:

"He's a hypocrite, a complete hypocrite," said Brady spokeswoman Kate Philips. "He talks about redemption, but really he just has cronies with really bad records. Cronyism got him into that mess. He took one of his old goombahs and gave him that job."

The Inky continues its reporting into Knox's past business practices today with a look at his hiring of a convicted felon, first at a Maryland insurance company he owned and then as a personal assistant. David S. Fishbone still works for Knox two days a week, reviewing documents and writing letters, Knox said.

"David Fishbone goes to work every day," Knox said yesterday in a telephone interview. "He works hard. He's smart."

Knox's profile ran in the Inky today, too.

Knox under fire

It's appropriate that this is Post No. 300 on the Fight for Room 215, seeing how the mayoral race is starting to look a bit like the movie "300." Blood and gore and attacks against frontrunner Tom Knox. Well, maybe not blood and gore. Yet.

Both Dwight Evans and Bob Brady went right at Knox yesterday, for his lack of a record on fighting crime and past transgressions in the healthcare industry, respectively.

Good work from both the Inky and Daily News today to detail some more of Knox's past violations in the healthcare industry. Dave Davies also does more to debunk the "Knox as Outsider" role he plays on TV.

And Metro takes a look at the effect of Knox's cash on the race. Yes, yes, you already know this, loyal readers. This one's for the masses out there not as plugged into the campaign.

Ultimately, each voter will have to make up their own mind on whether Knox's past — including transgressions from companies he owned and was ultimately held accountable for and dealings inside of city government — effects how you think he'd function as Mayor Knox.

Twenty days to decide...