Bob Brady

GOP candidate for state Treasurer Tom Ellis went colonial for his turn at Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's Comedy NightPHILADELPHIA-There were jokes about John McCain's age. Jokes about Gov. Ed Rendell's robust figure. Jokes about Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's nerdy voice. And, oh, were there ever jokes about Vince Fumo's witness list.

And that was all before Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr made a surprise appearance.

It was one of the local political establishment's favorite nights here Tuesday night, as candidates for statewide races, Congressional races and down-ballot race joined a bevy of political insiders for Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's annual Candidates Comedy Night. In its 18th year, the fundraiser for a children's charity put more than a dozen political candidates on stage, not to campaign, but to make people laugh.

"The candidates before me tonight are not professional comics," Bykofsky warned his audience before U.S. Rep. Bob Brady opened the show. "They will prove that in a moment."

During the run-up to the Pennsylvania primary, much was made of the U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) decision not to dole out "street money" in Philadelphia, a legal but controversial--and certainly hollowed--get-out-the-vote tradition in the city.

But now, needing to win by huge margins in Philadelphia in order to win the state in November, the Obama campaign has assured local Democratic Party leaders that it will provide the cash to pay party election workers, the Daily News reports. 

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-Philadelphia), who chairs the city Democratic Party, predicted that Obama would need to carry Philadelphia by half-a-million votes in order to win the state against U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). That's signifcantly more than the 350,000-vote margin enjoyed by Al Gore in 2000, and the 400,000-vote margin that John Kerry captured in 2004. Both won the state.

Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Reps Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, and even former 76ers coach Larry Brown are just some of the big names on state Sen. Vince Fumo's (D-Philadelphia) list of potential witnesses for his looming federal corruption trial.

The witness list, reported by The Inquirer and The Daily News, names 267 people who could potentially be called to testify at Fumo's trial, which now starts in less than a month.

Also headlining the defense witness list are Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, and Philadelphia City Council President Anna Verna.

Fumo, the 30-year incumbent and Philadelphia political icon, is accused of improperly using Senate money and money from a charity he oversaw for personal and political gain. He has denied any wrongdoing, but decided not to run for reelection in the spring because of the indictment against.

Center City attorney Larry Farnese won a three-way Democratic primary battle to replace Fumo in April. He faces underdog Republican Jack Morley in November, and is widely expected to be the next state Senator in the 1st Senatorial District.

Congressman Bob Brady was the first congressional candidate to report his 2nd quarter FEC numbers yesterday.  Brady reported bringing in $112,265 dollars and ended the quarter with $473,070 cash on hand.  Brady is running for re-election in PA-01.

By a vote of 293-129 the U.S. Congress today passed the hotly debated FISA bill.  Four of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation voted against the bill.  Bob Brady (PA-01), Chaka Fattah (PA-02), Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) and Michael Doyle (PA-14) voted no, while John Peterson (PA-05) did not vote.

As superdelegates flood to Barack Obama throughout the day, Pennsylvania has four holdouts.  Congressmen Bob Brady, Jason Altmire, Mike Doyle and Tim Holden continue to take their strong stances of no comment. 

Maybe after Obama reaches the magic number later today they will be willing to take a stance once and for all.

Republicans who run for office in the staunchly Democratic city of Philadelphia are often called sacrificial lambs, providing their time to campaign even though registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 5-1.

Now, in an election year widely expected to be a difficult one for the GOP, the outlook for Republicans in Philadelphia may be even more bleak. Democrats, incumbents and newcomers alike, are raising significantly more money than their Republican opponents. Some suburban seats may be up for grabs, but from state House races to bids for the U.S. Congress, Republican and Democratic analysts and consultants agree that most seats within the city proper are simply out of reach for Republicans.

"With the exception of a couple of wards in the northeast ... nothing short of a flat-out indictment or scandal is going to win for any Republicans," said Neil Oxman, a longtime Democratic consultant in Philadelphia.

U.S. Rep Bob Brady (D-Phila.) is pushing his fellow superdelegates in the House to come to make up their minds soon, The Inquirer reports.

"We need an endgame; we need a timetable," said Brady, who also is chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party.

Brady’s district in Philadelphia was taken overwhelmingly by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in April’s primary, but Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) won the state by almost 10 points.

Philadelphia Congressman Bob Brady is trying to get his colleagues to move a little quicker in deciding who they will support for President as a superdelegate.  Brady sent a letter to his colleagues urging them to make their choice public within a week of the final primary on June 3rd.

21 of Pennsylvania’s 26 superdelegates have decided between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.  There are still five superdelegates who have not declared their preference. 

If someone gives out political courage awards later this year someone like Bob Casey, who chose Obama when almost every other elected official in the state was with Clinton, may be considered for the award. 

Those who will not be in contention include Congressmen Tim Holden, Jason Altmire, Bob Brady, Mike Doyle and Chris Carney, who still cannot decide between Obama and Clinton.