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Brady Refuses to Endorse Tony Payton Jr.
Submitted by Ben Waxman on Fri, 05/05/2006 - 2:03pm.
I usually defend Bob Brady, but this is outrageous:
Vazquez: Write-in campaign
One of the odder moments at the Democratic dinner Monday came as Bob Brady introduced the endorsed candidates.
When it came to the North Philadelphia state House district vacated by the retiring Bill Rieger, Brady ignored Tony Payton, the only Democrat on the ballot, instead introducing Emilio Vazquez, who was bumped from the race in court because of errors in his nominating petitions.
Vazquez is the candidate of power broker Marge Tartaglione and will run a write-in campaign.
Payton says that he has support from three other ward leaders in the district but that Tartaglione called him "a sneak" for not seeking her blessing to run.
"I didn't see anywhere in the election code that said I had to ask Marge's permission," said Payton.
You mean you missed section 3-A, clause 5b?
He is the only Democrat on the ballot. This is not the way it's supposed to work.
Tony is also just a really af
Tony is also just a really affable guy. He's been talking a little tourgher than I think he should in the press. That said, I can't imagine cold shouldering a young guy trying to make good like this. Especially in the year of an open seat. He's not doing anything differently than a lot of the other grand old men of the party today did in their 20s.
Kind of crazy
Here is a guy like Vazquez who couldn't even stay on the ballot with all of the party support. He gets thrown off of the ballot, we still have a young guy like Tony Payton on the ballot where the party will win no matter what happens since the district is so heavily democratic.
The problem is the party is looking for a stooge which Tony is not.
I just do not understand that is Vazquez could not stay on the ballot with party support and a clear field practically why the rush to get him back on the ballot. Just shows that some of the leaders do not care about representation of the community and just want to build their own power base.
The local democratic party is broken......
This is a perfect example of all that is wrong with this local party of ours.
There's factions that want to pull the party in one direction and still others who want to pull it in another diretion. It will be the responsiblity of our generation of Democrats to pull this party together. But for now, it appears as though the party is destroying itself.
They'll push for their guy and do everything they can to buy off, scare off or knock off the competition. Then, when it's THEIR guy that gets knocked off and there's only one man standing, do they accept what the courts have decided?...no. They decide to launch a write in campaign to beat the only registered Democrat on the ballot merely because Tony is a reformer and hasn't sworn his loyalties to the party bosses.
I'm sorry, but THATS not the democratic party I signed up for. And it's this kinda stuff that we have to remember when we're told to stand down or to accept what the party leaders have decided about other races. Where are all the great elected leaders who champion reform now? Why aren't THEY standing up for Tony Payton? Could it be because they don't want to bite the hand of the machine that they hope will feed them?
It's far easier for them to be for reform when reform in city government is an academic excercize or when it ends on the floor of council chambers...but this is where the reform rhetoric hits the road. On the street is where the real struggle for reform policies and policy makers is being fought.
And Tony Payton is fighting the good fight. As is Anne Dicker and others. They should not be targted because they come from no particular faction or "family" within the party. They should be embraced, nurtured and if not supported then at the very least respectfully tolerated. Most of all, they should not be targeted by the local democratic party.
Talk about the shame of our city!
Fundraiser for Tony Payton
Tony has been doing a great job canvassing his district and building up the support he needs not just this year but in 2 years when many of the ward leaders are going to put a target on his back.
You can help him by coming to a fundraiser for Tony I am hosting with Derek Green, Sharon Losier, George Gossett, and Joe Meade on Tuesday, May 9 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the law offices of George Gossett(21 S. 12th St., Suite 100). We are asking Friends to contribute $35 and Supporters to contribute $70. You can RSVP to (215) 568-2201.