October 17, 2004 Sunday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: CURRENTS; Pg. C06

 

LENGTH: 573 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / U.S. Senate
Reelect Specter

 

BODY:

Arlen Specter has become a force to be reckoned with in the U.S. Senate.

 

His 24 years have made him the longest-serving Pennsylvanian ever to hold the job. Specter is an important Republican voice advocating more federal dollars for hunger relief, education and mass transit. As a swing vote whose support is continually sought by both parties, he has built up the clout and seniority to ensure that Pennsylvania receives its fair share of federal spending.

 

In his current term, Specter was instrumental in doubling the funding for the National Institutes of Health, which researches cures for diseases and treats hospitals in this region well. He has lobbied the White House on steel tariffs and resisted the administration's new payroll overtime regulations.

 

Although he sometimes sides with the Democrats, Specter is respected within his own party enough to have gained a seat among the Senate's GOP leadership. He's a member of the Appropriations Committee and, assuming Republicans keep control of the Senate, will become chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

 

The Inquirer believes Specter should get another six-year term. Preserving the legality of abortion plays no small part in this decision. Sometime in the next four years, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee will very likely find himself in the pivotal role of scrutinizing at least one new Supreme Court nominee. Assuming that Republicans are in charge of the Senate, it would be better to have the chairman's seat filled by Specter, who says Roe v. Wadeis "inviolate" as the law of the land. If Specter loses, next in line among Republicans to be chairman is Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, who opposes abortion rights.

 

It's highly unlikely that Specter's challenger, Democratic Rep. Joe Hoeffel, would find himself on the Judiciary Committee anytime soon. He may receive better marks from abortion-rights groups than Specter, but the implications of Specter not being in the Judiciary chair are hard to ignore.

 

Hoeffel, 53, in his third House term, has run a civil, high-minded campaign that has failed to get much traction. He advocates increased funding for the President's No Child Left Behind initiative, cutting the deficit by ending corporate welfare, and promoting renewable fuels to lessen America's dependence on foreign oil.

 

Hoeffel would be a solid ally for a Kerry administration, but there is little in his record to indicate he would become a major player for Pennsylvania in the Senate. Asked to cite his biggest achievements in four terms in the state legislature, Hoeffel was hard-pressed to answer on the spot. Pennsylvania would give up too much by trading Specter for Hoeffel.

 

This endorsement does not take lightly Specter's tendency to run to the right as he gears up for reelection. He did so this year to overcome a formidable challenge in the Republican primary from conservative Rep. Pat Toomey. Casting himself as a Republican with an independent streak, Specter was a reliable vote for President Bush on issues ranging from tax cuts, to the invasion of Iraq, to drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

 

Hoeffel is correct that Specter's votes for the Bush tax cuts helped worsen the deficit. In his next term, Specter, 74, must take more seriously the need to end government borrowing. That moderate streak ought to show up more often in the new year.

 

The Inquirer endorses ARLEN SPECTER for U.S. Senate.

 

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October 21, 2004 Thursday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A24

 

LENGTH: 570 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa. Attorney General;

Eisenhower has vision

 

BODY:

The election of Pennsylvania's next attorney general takes on special significance as the state prepares to regulate the new casino gambling industry. It's been only nine years since Attorney General Ernie Preate Jr. went to prison for not reporting illegal cash contributions from the operators of illegal video-poker machines in Lackawanna County.

 

Thomas Corbett Jr., who served well as interim attorney general for 15 months after Preate pleaded guilty in 1995, is now the Republican candidate to become Pennsylvania's top law enforcement officer. But Democrat JAMES EISENHOWER, a former federal prosecutor and national security aide in the Clinton administration, is better qualified for this job, in part because he sees its full potential more clearly.

 

Eisenhower prosecuted organized crime figures, drug dealers, hate-crime suspects, and public corruption defendants during his seven years as a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia and Washington. He was also a White House Fellow. Most recently, he served a year as chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, where he set up a homeland security advisory committee. He has the varied experience needed to finally realize the multipronged potential of the Attorney General's Office to protect consumers, the environment and the assets of nonprofits - on top of the traditional role of chasing down drug dealers.

 

Corbett, 55, is a former U.S. attorney out of Pittsburgh. He, too, is a former Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency chairman. But his impressive resume includes baggage that is somewhat troubling. Corbett was counsel and a senior executive for Waste Management Inc., a major national waste-disposal firm that has been fined for safety and environmental violations.

 

In other words, Corbett was an officer of a company known to fight waste industry regulators. And Pennsylvania leads the nation in importing trash from other states. Trash is a big issue for this state. Corbett said he favors expanding the attorney general's powers to go after environmental and securities crime. But he added, "We're going to go after people who commit crimes. We're not going to go after industries."

 

Well, sometimes entire industries should be the focus, whether it be securities firms on Wall Street or waste haulers in Pennsylvania. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has shown the way in that regard. Think also of the state attorneys general who collectively took on the tobacco industry.

 

Eisenhower says he would be much more aggressive in targeting white-collar crime, noting that many multi-state cases started at the local level, where national firms may have headquarters.

 

Eisenhower also has a conflict that voters must weigh in evaluating him. His wife, Nora Dowd-Eisenhower, is a member of Gov. Rendell's cabinet, as the head of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. He also has a close relationship with Gov. Rendell. Eisenhower has pledged to recuse himself from any investigation involving the Department of Aging. "I certainly will investigate the governor where appropriate," he said.

 

Corbett had a similarly close political relationship with Tom Ridge, who was governor when Corbett was interim attorney general.

 

All in all, Eisenhower is the better choice. His experience could be especially valuable in making the Attorney General Office's as active in as many areas as it ought to be.

 

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October 14, 2004 Thursday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A22

 

LENGTH: 409 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa. Auditor General
Wagner is a seasoned straight-shooter

 

BODY:

What's it going to take to be auditor general, Pennsylvania's top fiscal watchdog? For starters, voters should look for a healthy sense of outrage whenever taxpayers' money is at risk of being squandered.

 

Then, voters need to check each of three Nov. 2 contenders for a thorough knowledge of the bureaucracy's inner workings. In hunting down waste through 6,500 annual audits of state government and local school districts, it helps to know the terrain.

 

Finally, thanks to the legalization of slot machines, voters will need to look for a new skill: the ability to keep track of who's doing what with new gaming revenues, and to make sure the promised tax relief is delivered.

 

Except for the two-term limit, there might be a draft movement to retain Auditor General Robert P. Casey Jr. - an effective watchdog. But at least there's a field of qualified successors.

 

Of the three, State Sen. Jack Wagner (D., Allegheny) has the best combination of integrity, breadth of experience, and Harrisburg know-how.

 

The Republican, former cop and prosecutor Joe Peters of Scranton, also offers an impressive resume. Among his career stops: working at the White House antidrug office.

 

Green candidate Ben Price, 51, actually holds the title of township auditor in his Carlisle-area community. An honors graduate from West Chester University, he works as an equipment manager at a large trucking firm.

 

But neither Peters nor Price matches Wagner's on-point experience.

 

Wagner, 56, of Pittsburgh, has spent the last decade in the Senate, working on funding the new Pittsburgh convention center and boosting funding for early-childhood education. For the decade before that, he was on Pittsburgh City Council - six years as its president.

 

Wagner, like Casey, wants the office to go beyond routine accounting of government to do "performance audits" of key programs. A performance audit sees what kind of results taxpayers are getting for their money. He says he'll check to make sure jobs and economic-stimulus programs, a growing category thanks to Gov. Rendell's recent bond issue, are paying dividends.

 

Peters, 47, as chief of the state attorney general's drug and organized crime divisions, learned how to follow the money trail in criminal cases. Price has an outsider's fire in his belly to hold Harrisburg pols to account, which is refreshing.

 

For auditor general, though, voters' best option is a seasoned straight-shooter, JACK WAGNER.

 

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October 18, 2004 Monday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A14

 

LENGTH: 471 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa. State Treasurer
Casey's ideas are good

 

BODY:

Pennsylvania voters have two good candidates to choose from in the election for state treasurer. Republican Jean Craige Pepper has 27 years of experience as an investment professional. And Democrat Bob Casey Jr. has already served ably as auditor general.

 

Casey, son of the late governor, admits his loss to Ed Rendell in the 2003 Democratic gubernatorial primary did not extinguish the fire in his belly to run for governor again. So there's some truth to Pepper's charge that Casey may be running for treasurer with his eye on someday becoming governor.

 

But that ambition doesn't disqualify Casey from being elected treasurer. He is well-qualified for the job with good ideas for improving the department. The Inquirer endorses BOB CASEY JR.for state treasurer.

 

Casey, 44, is finishing his second term as state auditor general. He successfully managed a state department of more than 700 employees and created some waves, notably with his ongoing court fight to scrutinize the books of the state's pension funds.

 

The state treasurer is responsible for overseeing a department of about 530 employees with an annual budget of about $52 million, investing and managing about $85 billion in state funds. The current treasurer, Barbara Hafer, is completing her second term and cannot seek reelection.

 

Casey wants to expand the treasurer's role to encourage banks to provide low-cost loans to hospitals to invest in new technology, improving the quality of health care and boosting local economies. He also pledges to confront a $47 million shortfall in the state's Tuition Account Program, which allows state residents to prepay for college. Although Casey says the treasurer is limited in dictating a solution, he promises to work with the General Assembly and colleges to reduce the program's deficit.

 

Pepper, 49, of Erie, is a worthy opponent. She was vice president of a Merrill Lynch branch office in Erie. She served as the financial adviser for Erie County's pension system for eight years. This is her first run for public office. Her plans for the office are modest; she says the department is "not broken."

 

Pepper makes a strong case by arguing that her skills are unique, that the treasurer has never been trained in investing, and that Pennsylvania has a dearth of women holding statewide office. But Casey is correct that the treasurer's job is essentially an administrator's post. And he has more experience in managing a state bureaucracy.

 

Neither candidate expressed much concern about allowing fund managers to donate to their political campaigns, a potential conflict that deserves more serious attention.

 

In a race between two impressive candidates, Casey's plans and experience in Harrisburg are decisive. Bob Casey Jr. is the right choice to become the next state treasurer.

 

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October 25, 2004 Monday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A10

 

LENGTH: 366 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / 13th Congressional District;

Schwartz a solid choice

 

BODY:

Wear something flame-retardant if you think you might get caught between Democrat Allyson Schwartz and Republican Melissa Brown in the next nine days. The sparks flying from their apparent dislike of each other could cause injury.

 

Put aside the nasty attack ads between the two major-party candidates vying for the 13th Congressional District seat vacated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel. He is trying to oust U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican.

 

Whether judged by credentials, by ideas, or by broad knowledge, ALLYSON SCHWARTZ is the candidate who will best serve constituents of the 13th District, which includes most of Northeast Philadelphia, along with large swaths of Montgomery County.

 

As a state senator for 14 years, Schwartz has been a leading force in establishing the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP. She also has been a champion for numerous women's health issues. These are especially impressive accomplishments for a lawmaker in the state Senate's minority party and shows she knows how to forge bipartisan coalitions with folks on the other side of the aisle.

 

As a member of Congress, Schwartz would focus on better environmental stewardship and reclaiming old industrial sites; helping small businesses; and making health insurance more affordable and accessible, including expanding health insurance coverage to more children. Schwartz advocates fiscal responsibility and would roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

 

Brown, an ophthalmologist, is strongest on health-care issues. But she needs to gain more depth, and inject more realism, on other topics. She would, for example, put the nation in a deeper deficit hole by making all of the tax cuts permanent.

 

Both candidates should swear off attack ads that lower the level of discourse in an important campaign. That goes more for Brown, who has now embraced negative, distorting campaigning in her last two runs for office. It only casts a shadow on the positives of her as a future candidate.

 

Libertarian Chuck Moulton and the Constitution Party's John McDermott also are in this race. While they offer alternative views, neither is prepared for office.

 

 

 

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October 23, 2004 Saturday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A10

 

LENGTH: 535 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / 6th Congressional District;

Murphy would be a 'deficit hawk'

 

BODY:

Too many elections pit incumbents against cannon fodder who are only running so the opposition party can say it fielded a candidate. That's not the case in Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District.

 

Democrat Lois Murphy, a Harvard magna cum laude grad who worked for Attorney General Richard Thornburgh in the first Bush administration, has been stating the case even better than presidential nominee John Kerry for changing directions in Washington.

 

But Murphy has an uphill battle in trying to unseat freshman Republican U.S. Rep. James W. Gerlach in representing residents of this meandering district that covers southern Montgomery, northern Chester and eastern Berks Counties as well as a slice of Lehigh.

 

The halls of Congress aren't unfamiliar to Murphy, who lobbied there as an officer of NARAL Pro-Choice America, previously known as the National Abortion Rights Action League. A lawyer currently on leave from her firm, she specializes in trusts and estate planning.

 

Murphy says she would be a "deficit hawk" if elected. She says aggressive action should be taken to reduce the deficit by bidding more defense contracts and going back to "pay-as-you-go" government. She also would amend President Bush's Medicare reforms to allow the government to negotiate lower prices from drug companies.

 

In attacking the federal deficit, Murphy strikes directly at the most glaring weakness of Gerlach. This former state legislator, who was a very effective moderate in Harrisburg, has lost his way in Washington. He walked lock-step behind House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in approving tax cuts for the rich when the nation could least afford them.

 

Gerlach is so attached to the DeLay agenda that he couldn't name at least one tax cut that he would not extend so the federal deficit might be reduced. In contrast, Murphy says she would definitely roll back the Bush tax cut for people who make $200,000 or more.

 

That's a tough stance for her to take in a district that includes some of Pennsylvania's wealthiest addresses. But Murphy understands the urgency of deficit reduction. She knows deficits drive up the cost of borrowing for ordinary Americans, and hamper government's ability to improve education, shore up homeland security or address the long-term problems of Social Security and Medicare.

 

Murphy points out this administration made tax cuts its highest priority during a time of war, instead of following the lead of past wartime presidents who rightly asked Americans to make sacrifices at home to help win the peace overseas. And Gerlach has gone along for the ride.

 

The incumbent, who made his mark in the Pennsylvania legislature as a champion of "smart growth" to combat sprawl, has also become a disappointingly squishy vote on environmental issues in Congress. The Sierra Club has endorsed Murphy.

 

Gerlach earned this newspaper's endorsement when he ran in 2002, but he has fallen short of high expectations by too often conforming with the hard-right leadership in the House. Also on the ballot is Green Party candidate Dorothy Schieber, who is campaigning for a universal health care plan. The Inquirer endorses LOIS MURPHY for election in the Sixth District.

 

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October 9, 2004 Saturday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A14

 

LENGTH: 436 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa.'s Second District
Fattah is an innovative thinker

 

BODY:

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Phila.) clearly has earned a sixth term in Congress from the Second District, which includes parts of Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township. Fattah, who also served 12 years in the state legislature, has been an effective champion for people in need of affordable housing, young children denied a head start in school, and low-income students trying to finish college and earn advanced degrees.

 

Republican challenger Stewart Bolno of Roxborough, a management consultant and college professor, is running on a one-plank platform focused on the belief that vouchers and giving children a choice to attend public or private schools will be enough to reform the flawed education system. Bolno admits that he has a lot to learn about a broad range of important issues facing Congress, from homeland security to environmental protection. He's just not ready for this job.

 

By contrast, Fattah is an experienced and innovative thinker in Congress who has been a party leader in improving education for low-income students.

 

His federal "GEAR UP" initiative (Gaining Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), created in 1998, has raised $1.8 billion to help two million students in 48 states. GEAR UP helps children as early as when they are in middle school to qualify and pay for college.

 

Fattah also has a promising bill, called the Student Bill of Rights, which would build on President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. It would require each state to certify with the secretary of education that its public school system offers all students equal access to the educational assets necessary for academic achievement. Those assets would include quality teachers, up-to-date textbooks, computers, libraries and counseling.

 

Fattah also has proposed a radical plan to simplify the federal income tax system by replacing it with a "transaction fee" that would be charged, with some exceptions, whenever money changes hands. Fattah projects that the fee could save the Internal Revenue Service up to $200 billion in costs to get taxpayers to comply with current tax laws. He believes the fee could greatly increase revenues to pay down the national debt, expand health coverage and make public school funding more equitable.

 

The fact that this out-of-the-box idea is getting serious attention in Washington is further evidence of Fattah's creativity, which in the past has helped people escape crime-ridden environments, and even helped the city weather its early 1990s brush with bankruptcy. The Inquirer endorses CHAKA FATTAH for reelection. He has earned it.

 

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October 20, 2004 Wednesday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A18

 

LENGTH: 333 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / 16th Congressional District;

Pitts is experienced and accomplished

 

BODY:

Voters in the 16th Congressional District aren't used to this much choice.

 

On the ballot this year are incumbent Republican Joseph R. Pitts, Democrat Lois Herr, and Green Party candidate W. Robert Hagen.

 

Pitts, 65, is a staunch Bush administration ally on issues such as the war on terror, Iraq and tax cuts. Since his first run for Congress in 1996, Pitts has faced little or no opposition in the heavily Republican district that covers Lancaster County, Southern Chester County and parts of Berks County.

 

Herr, 62, of Elizabethtown, opposed going to war in Iraq, wants fiscal responsibility, and favors tax increases for higher-income Americans. Under President Bush, she says, "Everything is going in the wrong direction."

 

Hagen, 40, of Lancaster, considers the war "immoral," wants increased funding for programs such as No Child Left Behind, and decries the "foolishness" he sees in state and federal government.

 

Pick an issue, and you won't find much agreement between the incumbent and his opponents. But what also separates them is experience and a record of accomplishment. Before joining Congress, Pitts served for 24 years in the state legislature. He will stray from the party line, as he did in his recent push to protect cell-phone users' privacy.

 

Most notably, he is an advocate for human rights, pushing himself - and his constituents - to get involved globally. He does this, in part, by having foreign ambassadors stationed in Washington regularly visit homes and businesses in his district. Locals learn of problems and needs overseas and work together on solutions: sending school supplies to Kashmir; a fire truck to Mongolia; ambulances and dialysis machines to Pakistan; a tractor and combine, even cows, to Romania.

 

Pitts and this page don't often agree on issues, but an incumbent this hard-working and this attuned to his district doesn't deserve to be displaced by challengers this inexperienced. The Inquirer endorses JOSEPH R. PITTS for reelection.

 

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October 7, 2004 Thursday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A34

 

LENGTH: 351 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa.'s 15th District
Dent has solid record as public servant

 

BODY:

Thanks to Pat Toomey, who spurned a reelection bid to run unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, voters in the 15th District are getting to do something rare for them this fall - fill an open congressional seat.

 

The Lehigh Valley district, which includes 13 municipalities in upper Montgomery County, is nearly even in registered Democrats and Republicans. As such, the Democratic Party would appear to have a good shot at winning a seat that has been Republican for six years.

 

There are two problems, though, with Democratic nominee Joe Driscoll. First, he moved to the Lehigh Valley from Lower Merion only a few months ago - well after he won the Democratic primary in April. Second, Driscoll, 40, has no record of public service outside of his successful work in developing abandoned industrial sites.

 

In contrast, his Republican foe, State Sen. Charles W. Dent, has spent nearly all of his 44 years in the Lehigh Valley, and has served nearly 14 years in the General Assembly - eight in the House and six in the Senate. His record as a moderate Republican who supports abortion rights sits well with a majority-Democratic district.

 

Driscoll has predicted that Dent would be a rubber stamp for the national GOP if elected. Driscoll further faults Dent for voting against the Rendell administration's income-tax increase in 2003.

 

Dent has responded with a television ad that shows Rendell praising him for his support of the governor's economic-stimulus package. Dent needs to show that sort of bipartisanship to best represent his constituency in Congress.

 

Admittedly, Dent's enthusiasm for both a balanced budget amendment and making the current income tax cuts permanent is based on the idealistic assumption that we can simply grow our economy out of the current deep deficits.

 

Still, in a race that includes Green Party candidate Greta Browne and Libertarian Richard J. Piotrowski, Dent's record of public service demonstrates not only deep concern for constituents but also that he is best qualified for the office. The Inquirer endorses CHARLES W. DENT.

 

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October 21, 2004 Thursday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A24

 

LENGTH: 280 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Fifth District;

For schools, pick Mirarchi

 

BODY:

State Sen. Michael Stack 3d, who four years ago upset the Republican incumbent, Frank Salvatore, has been an improvement over his predecessor. But, unfortunately, that is not saying a lot.

 

Stack, a Democrat, has been on the right side on some issues, and he's worked to keep business in his Northeast district. But right now some serious questions are being raised about the senator after the indictment of his father, 58th Ward leader Michael Stack Jr., for allegedly forging signatures to help John Farley get on the ballot for City Council last March. Farley has said Sen. Stack helped recruit him to run for the Council seat, an allegation Stack denies.

 

While voters are sorting out that mess, they should also consider that Stack got it wrong on the toughest vote in the legislature during his term. He voted against his own Democratic governor's vital plan to modestly raise the state income tax to support new investment in public schools, including city schools.

 

If voters conclude that vote alone is enough to warrant a change, they're in luck. Stack is running against a smart, young challenger in Republican Saverio "Sam" Mirarchi, who quit his job as legislative director for City Councilman Frank Rizzo Jr. to run for this office. Mirarchi, a lawyer, offers sound proposals for economic development that will produce jobs. He rightly believes the legislature needed to support the tax increase for education because "it is a smart investment" in children and economic development for the city and state. "I definitely would have voted for the education bill," said Mirarchi.

 

The Inquirer endorses SAM MIRARCHI for state Senate in the Fifth District.

 

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October 4, 2004 Monday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A10

 

LENGTH: 404 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa.'s Seventh Senatorial District
Hughes knows the important issues

 

BODY:

If State Sen. Vincent Hughes gets his way, thousands more Pennsylvania citizens would be covered by health insurance.

 

Hughes, 47, also would like to tame the scourge of AIDS in the African American community.

 

And the Senate Democrat wants to give young smokers yet another reason to kick the deadly habit - in the form of a new $2 per pack cigarette tax.

 

To push for these and other signature issues, though, Hughes must win reelection to another four-year term in Pennsylvania's Seventh Senatorial District in Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

 

Voters would be wise to do just that. As a 10-year Senate veteran, Hughes is smart and energetic, and he's focused on important issues.

 

Meanwhile, his Republican opponent - Roxborough legal assistant Maryalice Devlin - hasn't made the case that she can do better.

 

The Seventh is a diverse district that stretches from West Philadelphia, to Roxborough, and out into two suburban communities, Whitemarsh and Springfield Townships.

 

On the campaign trail, Devlin stresses the wisdom of sending a Republican to Harrisburg who can work with GOP legislative leaders. She also notes her deep community roots and describes herself as "a woman with commonsense, compassion and integrity."

 

Yet the challenger fails to match Hughes' experience. While she questions the incumbent's dedication to his suburban constituents, Hughes can demonstrate that he's become more attentive to the Montgomery County areas added to the district in the 2002 redistricting.

 

Meantime, Hughes is pushing health-related issues that offer statewide benefits.

 

He proposes hiking the cigarette tax to fund more slots in the state's AdultBasic health insurance program for working poor adults. The $2 tax would act as a strong deterrent to young smokers.

 

Hughes also is a welcome advocate for raising HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention efforts among African Americans, the hardest hit group.

 

Hughes, a state representative for nearly seven years before joining the Senate, voted against the reckless no-helmet law for motorcyclists. As the federal assault weapons ban was expiring, Hughes joined other senators in proposing that Pennsylvania enact its own ban.

 

Even as a member of the Democratic Senate minority, Hughes has the savvy to direct the spotlight on these important public health issues. That's why Seventh District voters should reelect VINCENT HUGHES to another term.

 

 

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October 22, 2004 Friday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A22

 

LENGTH: 248 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa. State Senate, Third District

Democrat Shirley Kitchen, no contest

 

BODY:

Democratic State Sen. Shirley Kitchen is facing token opposition, leaving little doubt that she deserves another four years representing the Third District. The question remains: Can't city Republicans do better?

 

Her opponent, Phil E. Kerwick, 46, owner of a chocolate factory, is a Republican ward leader who entered the race in late summer to replace another candidate. He is focused primarily on Burholme, his neighborhood, making him a poor choice to represent so many varied communities.

 

Kitchen, 58, remains grounded in issues close to her constituents: revitalizing business districts; offering home ownership programs; trying to ban assault weapons; and supporting efforts to get a supermarket in a neighborhood lacking one. She had a misstep when she voted to repeal the state's motorcycle helmet law, but she is on target in trying to help ex-offenders find gainful employment.

 

Kerwick's use of racially-tinged code words is particularly problematic in such a heavily African American district, which stretches from Olney to Roxborough and includes North Central Philadelphia. He complains about Section 8 subsidized housing, public schools that "keep people dumb and voting Democratic" and the need for school vouchers to force people "off the plantation" of public education. He is right about one thing, though - Philadelphians need a strong two-party system and more political choices.

This time around, however, SHIRLEY KITCHEN is the best bet for voters.

 

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October 13, 2004 Wednesday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A14

 

LENGTH: 308 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa.'s Ninth Senate District
Pileggi has experience in smart growth

 

BODY:

Pennsylvania's Ninth Senate District sweeps across southern Delaware and Chester Counties, covering everything from old industrial riverfront towns looking to revitalize, to suburbs and farm country under pressure to develop.

 

For the last two years, the district has been ably represented by Republican State Sen. Dominic F. Pileggi, 46, who won a special election to fill the seat long held by the late Clarence D. Bell.

 

Before joining the Senate, Pileggi spent four years as mayor of Chester, trying to convince constituents - and investors - that his city had a future. Under his watch, Chester attracted businesses, started to rehab its downtown, nurtured a medical-technology corridor, and saw its riverfront go from hopeless brownfields to promising mixed-use developments.

 

However, the Chester Upland schools still struggle, and questions remain as to whether Pileggi's hand-picked Board of Control has been as effective as the former board, which was sacked without explanation by former state Education Secretary Charles Zogby.

 

Pileggi has already faced some tough votes in his brief Senate tenure. He supported gambling as a means of lowering property taxes - at the same time boosting the City of Chester through slots and a racetrack and aiding Chester County's horse industry. He also was one of the Republican legislators who stood up for public education by voting to increase the state income tax. His smart-growth experience in Chester serves Pileggi as he helps communities find the right balance between economic expansion and preservation.

 

The Democratic candidate, Tom Bosak, 57, of Sadsbury Township, can't match Pileggi's years of experience in bringing together government, business and nonprofits to identify problems and work for solutions.

 

The Inquirer endorses DOMINIC F. PILEGGI for state Senate.

 

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October 23, 2004 Saturday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A10

 

LENGTH: 152 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / 17th Senate District

Williams stands out in service

 

BODY:

Voters in Pennsylvania's 17th Senate District are fortunate to have two good candidates vying to represent them in Harrisburg.

 

The 17th District encompasses the townships of Haverford, Lower Merion, Radnor, Upper Merion, Plymouth; and East Norriton; Narberth, the Conshohockens; Norristown; and Bridgeport.

 

State Sen. Connie Williams, a Democrat, has done a solid job and deserves to be reelected.

 

Even her GOP opponent, Ted Barry, notes Williams' constituent services would be hard to top. Williams has been a strong voice for health and safety issues for women and children. She shows she understands a key strength of the area by promoting regional biotechnology centers.

 

Barry has done his homework on the important issues facing Pennsylvania, but the proposals he supports and the vague cost-cutting he urges just don't add up.

 

The Inquirer endorses CONNIE WILLIAMS in the 17th District.

 

NEW JERSEY

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October 4, 2004 Monday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A10

 

LENGTH: 330 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / N.J.'s Third District

Send Saxton to Congress

 

BODY:

Long before the 9/11 commission issued its damning report, Rep. James Saxton (R., N.J.) was talking about the failure of U.S. intelligence gatherers to shed their Cold War mentality and adapt to the age of terrorism.

 

That's why he jumped at the chance to chair the House Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism in 2000 and then took on the terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities subcommittee this Congress. He wants to do his part to make America safer.

 

He also continues to vote to safeguard the nation's land, water and air - often in defiance of his own party. That earns him the perennial support of New Jersey's environmental groups, a rarity for Republicans these days.

 

New Jersey's Third District voters should return the 20-year incumbent to Washington so he can keep up the good work.

 

This year, Saxton, 61, faces an able opponent in Democratic State Assemblyman Herb Conaway, 41, of Delanco. He's a physician and lawyer who grew up in Burlington County and served as an Air Force captain at McGuire.

 

Also in the race are Libertarian Frank Orland, 83, a retired psychiatrist, and R. Edward "The Weedman" Forchion, 44, of the U.S. Marijuana Party.

 

Conaway offers clear philosophical differences from Saxton, particularly on fiscal policy. Saxton, a member of the Joint Economic Committee, has supported all of President Bush's tax cuts. Conaway would roll them back to raise money for health care and Medicare reform.

 

Conaway also expresses reservations about the war in Iraq, while Saxton believes it's an integral part of the war on terror.

 

Still, Saxton's lengthy experience and moderate voice within his party give him the edge in this race.

 

He also does a good job meeting constituent needs in his meandering district, which includes towns in Burlington, Ocean and Camden Counties. He was on the front lines of flood cleanup last summer in Lumberton and Medford.

 

The Inquirer endorses H. JAMES SAXTON in New Jersey's Third District.

 

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October 1, 2004 Friday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A22

 

LENGTH: 409 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / N.J.'s First District
Andrews the choice for Congress

 

BODY:

Few congressional districts are safer Democratic territory than New Jersey's First District, which consists of portions of Camden, Gloucester and Burlington Counties. Rep. Rob Andrews, the Democratic incumbent, has won seven two-year terms here without breaking a sweat.

 

While the deck is stacked in Andrews' favor, he is also a very solid congressman. The voters know a good thing when they see it. The Inquirer endorses ROB ANDREWS for reelection.

 

Andrews, 47, of Haddon Heights, is properly focused on fixing the looming fiscal disaster in Washington caused by a perfect budget storm of tax cuts, runaway spending and Social Security demands. He would roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to find money to give uninsured Americans access to health coverage, similar to the proposal of presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry. He also advocates speeding up the process of closing military bases as one way to hold down spending.

 

Andrews voted in 2002 to authorize the use of force in Iraq, which was understandable at the time. What's harder to accept is his insistence that this ill-planned Iraq adventure remains crucial to the struggle against terrorism. It is, instead, a costly mistake that undercuts the war on terror.

 

The Democrats' virtual ownership of the First District hasn't stopped Republicans this year from putting up a good candidate. S. Daniel Hutchison, 36, a consumer law attorney from Gloucester Township, is making his first bid for public office.

 

A father of four, Hutchison is a thoughtful, knowledgeable opponent who has kept the debate focused on the issues. His main policy mistake is favoring further tax cuts, despite massive federal deficits.

 

Otherwise, his positions seem sensible, such as advocating the re-importation of cheaper prescription drugs to hold down health-care costs. And Hutchison expresses more qualms than Andrews about the invasion of Iraq.

 

If Hutchison were running for a local office, say, county freeholder, it would be a pleasure to endorse him. He's the kind of candidate the underdog Republican Party in South Jersey could build a franchise around. But he is overmatched in depth and experience against this strong incumbent.

 

Hanging over this race is the question of whether Andrews will run for governor again next year. His refusal to be pinned down on this question, while annoying to voters, does not disqualify him from representing the First District again.

 

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October 9, 2004 Saturday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A14

 

LENGTH: 334 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / N.J.'s 12th District

Holt brings balanced representation

 

BODY:

When voters in New Jersey's 12th District head to the polls, they can vote for Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Rush Holt with confidence that he will continue to provide thoughtful, balanced representation.

 

Holt, a 55-year-old physicist from Hopewell Township in Mercer County, has a consistent, strong environmental record, sponsoring important legislation to ban snowmobiling in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and working to preserve open space in this region.

 

Holt, who hosted a nonpartisan Central New Jersey Economic Summit last year, correctly notes that although New Jersey residents deserve tax relief, the Bush tax cuts, which have added to the huge federal deficit, are not the way to go.

 

Holt has supported President Bush when prudent. For example, he supported the No Child Left Behind Act, but recognizes that although the education program is good in theory, it cannot succeed without proper funding. Holt has also called on the President to reverse federal funding restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research, and he has long pushed for a Patient's Bill of Rights.

 

Holt calls the strategy and mission in Iraq "among the most foolish in the nation's history." He says he respects the troops but wants hearings on appropriations to ensure funds for the Iraq war are directed appropriately.

 

One criticism of Holt is his proposal for ATM-like receipts for electronic voting machines. The one-size-fits-all idea could cause backups at polls in urban areas and should be reconsidered.

 

Holt's challengers include Green Party candidate Daryl M. Brooks of Trenton, Libertarian Ken Chazotte of Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, and Republican William Spadea of Princeton.

 

Spadea should be applauded for his "200 miles" effort to meet people throughout the district and his desire to get to the root causes of major issues. However, when it comes to casting votes that would best represent the district, Holt is the clear choice. The Inquirer endorses RUSH HOLT.

 

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October 8, 2004 Friday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A22

 

LENGTH: 402 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Gloucester County Freeholders
Reed and Brigandi worthy of reelection

 

BODY:

Gloucester County residents don't have to vote for the two Democratic incumbents in the Nov. 2 freeholder election. But their Republican challengers have made it very hard to do otherwise.

 

Republicans Loran Oglesby and Robert J. Pacilli may deserve a pat on the back for agreeing to be candidates to help out a party that has all but died on the vine in Gloucester County. But their lackluster campaign, bereft of ideas, has been little more than an exercise in going through the motions. Voters deserve better.

 

With the Democrats clinging tightly to their 7-0 domination of the board, it makes sense to crave more diversity among the freeholders. One-party rule isn't good for any government, particularly in New Jersey, where the pay-to-play culture is so dominant. Fortunately for voters, no such accusations have been made against incumbent Freeholders Joseph A. Brigandi Jr. and Helene M. Reed. Even against tougher competition, Reed and Brigandi would be worthy of reelection. They have solid records of committed public service.

 

Reed, a former member of the Monroe Township Council, is seeking her third term on the freeholder board. If elected, she plans to push an idea that deserves consideration to open a center that would house homeless families. Currently, the county spends $250,000 a month on motel lodging for such families. Reed says she is proud that the county has been able to expand health and safety programs without increasing the tax rate the last five years.

 

Brigandi is a former Glassboro Council member; he grew up in that town. First appointed to the freeholder board in 1998, he is seeking a second full term. Brigandi has been an important voice as the county addresses crucial sprawl and development issues. He reasonably warns that it would be shortsighted to seek commercial development on land that would be more wisely used to accommodate technology firms, which could complement Rowan University's needed expansion.

 

Both Reed and Brigandi are supporting a ballot measure that would tax Gloucester County residents another two cents on each $100 of their property's assessed value to fund open space preservation. It's a good move in a county that is outpacing much of the East Coast with its rapid residential development. The Inquirer endorses HELENE M. REED and JOSEPH A. BRIGANDI for reelection to the Gloucester County Board of Freeholders.

 

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October 7, 2004 Thursday
CITY-D-EAST EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A34

 

LENGTH: 363 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Camden County Freeholders
2 newcomers who will shake up board

 

BODY:

The all-Democratic Camden County Board of Freeholders badly needs new blood and someone who will be a watchdog over a government that has grown fat and lazy through one-party dominance.

 

Over the last 11 years, Democrats have won every elective office in the county. The result has been wasteful scandals involving no-show jobs for party loyalists, millions paid in overly generous health benefits, and an ongoing audit to find "efficiencies," as Freeholder Edward McDonnell puts it.

 

Two freeholder seats are up for election - one held by McDonnell and the other by Laurelle Cummings, who is not running for another term.

 

McDonnell, of Pennsauken, is paired on the Democratic ticket with first-time candidate Carmen Rodriguez, a teacher from Merchantville. The Republican Party is running financial analyst Scott Morrison, 27, of Mount Ephraim, and Bill Mann, 27, of Haddon Township, a research analyst who served in Kuwait in the Army Reserves.

 

The cavalier waste of taxpayer money in Camden County is a direct result of the Democratic machine's business-as-usual patronage system. It's imperative to shake up the seven-member board of freeholders. For that reason, The Inquirer endorses newcomers CARMEN RODRIGUEZ and SCOTT MORRISON.

 

Morrison needs to do better keeping his facts straight, but his aggressive criticism of wasteful spending is on the mark. And he is right in pointing out the board desperately needs someone from the opposition party to try to keep it honest. He has no political experience, but voters should waive that in the hope of installing a bull in this Democratic china shop.

 

Rodriguez formerly taught at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, and promises to focus more attention on revitalizing the city. If elected, she would become the first Hispanic on the freeholder board.

 

McDonnell defends his performance by saying the number of patronage jobs is relatively few and that the board has cut taxes. McDonnell doesn't drive the train on the freeholder board, but he has been an enabler for the financial abuses. His answer is that he and his colleagues didn't ask enough questions. That's what happens under one-party rule.

 

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October 6, 2004 Wednesday
CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A22

 

LENGTH: 429 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Burlington County Freeholder
Give Fifis a chance at reforms

 

BODY:

Democrat Chris Fifis says he's running for Burlington County freeholder "to return accountability, responsibility and fiscal discipline to our government."

 

He has accomplished many of those goals before a vote has even been cast.

 

Last summer, in large part due to Fifis' vocal lobbying, the five-member, all-Republican freeholder board passed new ethics rules. They set a strict nepotism policy, partially banned dual office-holding, and tightened rules for awarding professional-services contracts.

 

Score three points for the underdog.

 

Fifis' opponent, Freeholder Director Vincent Farias, says these were issues Burlington County "should have passed years ago. There just wasn't a pressing need." But he's OK with the new rules if they make the public feel better.

 

That's a pretty weak position for the vice chairman of the New Jersey Association of Counties Ethics Committee. But what do you expect from an elected official who, against government policy, displayed a negative presidential campaign sign in his freeholder office window?

 

Fifis, co-owner of Ponzio's Diner in Cherry Hill, argues it's time for change. He's right. Republicans have monopolized the freeholder board since 1983. That's long enough.

 

Farias said he was unaware of two part-time county jobs held by State Sen. Martha Bark between 1997 and 2003, now criticized as no-show patronage positions. She earned several hundred thousand dollars working for the Burlington Bridge Commission and the Burlington County Institute of Technology. The attorney general is investigating. The three-member bridge commission, which has bonding authority for economic development projects, also is plagued with accusations of pay-to-play politics.

 

Freeholders work part-time and make only $20,000, Farias explained. They can't know everything that's going on. Or maybe they just don't want to know.

 

Farias concedes that Fifis' call for better oversight of the commission - run by former GOP power broker J. Garfield DeMarco - is a good idea. But he's not sure how to go about it.

 

Fifis, 35, who lives in Lumberton, has some ideas. Voters should give him a chance to try.

 

In his 12 years on the freeholder board, Farias, 58, of Edgewater Park, has amassed a solid record on regional planning, farmland preservation, Route 130 redevelopment, mass transit, park development, and emergency preparedness. But his lackadaisical, good-old-boy attitude toward ethics and deal-making leaves him out of touch with today's voters.

 

The Inquirer endorses CHRIS FIFIS for Burlington County freeholder.

 

 

 

October 27, 2004 Wednesday

JERSEY EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A18

 

LENGTH: 347 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / N.J. Fourth District

Smith stands up for human rights

 

The influence of Rep. Chris Smith goes far beyond the borders of New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District.

 

Now running for his 13th two-year term, Smith is recognized around the globe as a tireless champion of human rights. He has pushed his way onto the international stage to fight trafficking in humans and to monitor other nations' progress on civil liberties.

 

His Democratic opponent, Amy Vasquez, 35, of Burlington City, is a child-advocate attorney and a former teacher. She supports more federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research and backs Sen. John Kerry's call to rescind tax cuts for the wealthy to pay for expanded health-care coverage.

 

Libertarian Richard Edgar also is running to represent the district, which includes parts of Burlington, Ocean, Mercer and Monmouth counties.

 

Vasquez criticizes Smith for not obtaining more homeland security money for New Jersey. Smith agrees that the state should have gotten more, but says he was instrumental in correcting that in this year's budget. He also helped to negotiate an increase in Medicare reimbursements for New Jersey hospitals.

 

This Editorial Board has opposed Smith's role as the leading voice against abortion rights in the House. But his position is consistent with his lifelong commitment to human rights.

 

He favors even more limits on embryonic stem-cell research than President Bush has imposed, and he supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, both views that this board believes are wrongheaded.

 

But Smith would be more effective in Congress than either of his competitors. As chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Smith, 51, of Hamilton Township, is a consistent advocate for veterans. He secured aid to homeless vets and increased tuition benefits under the G.I. Bill.

 

Smith is a conservative, but he is not an automatic vote for Bush; for example, he opposed the administration's energy bill last year that would have opened the Alaskan wilderness to oil drilling. The Inquirer endorses CHRIS SMITH for reelection in New Jersey's Fourth District.

October 27, 2004 Wednesday

CITY-D EDITION

 

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A18

 

LENGTH: 262 words

 

HEADLINE: Editorial / Pa. Seventh
District Weldon remains the best choice

 

BODY:

How does a Delaware County congressman facing reelection get voters to look beyond his inexcusably tardy attention to a matter that appeared to be an ethical lapse?

 

That's the dilemma facing veteran U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.), following disclosures this year that he actively promoted the interests of foreign businessmen who retained his daughter's company for lucrative fees.

 

Fortunately, Weldon has given voters good reason to cut him some slack. After the ethics flap, he directed that there be no contact between his office and any interests that hire his daughter's public-relations firm. Weldon, 57, now agrees on the need to avoid even a perception that his extensive good works as an emissary abroad are being co-opted.

 

In deciding between Weldon and two challengers for his Seventh District seat, voters also have assurances that Weldon - as an activist who works across party lines - remains their best choice.

 

In addition to Weldon's repeated trips to Russia as an envoy for international cooperation, the 18-year veteran has produced some of the smartest thinking on regional economic development. His concept for a four-state caucus, including Maryland, could counter-balance the clout of Sun Belt states in pursuing federal funds and private investment.

 

Democratic challenger Paul Scoles, 54, of Haverford Township, would be a vote for sensible retrenching on the budget-busting Bush tax cuts. Libertarian David Jahn, 51, would be mostly in step with Scoles.

 

For the Seventh District, though, CURT WELDON has earned another term.

Thu, Oct. 28, 2004

 

Editorial | Pa. First Senate District

 

None of the above

 

Here's the key question in the so-called race for Pennsylvania's First Senate District, a territory also known as FumoWorld:

 

Why is it a contest in name only?

 

Why is it that, term after term in Philadelphia, no serious people with impressive credentials ever challenge an incumbent as deeply flawed as Democratic State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo?

 

The Editorial Board cannot in good conscience endorse him again, though it did in the May primary. Since then, Fumo has shown zero remorse over publicized dealings that law enforcement authorities are scrutinizing.

 

Fumo's Republican opponent, John Morley, has few credentials, odd ideas, and a spotty record of paying taxes. He isn't worthy of endorsement, either.

 

Evidence has been plentiful over the years of Fumo exploiting the power of his office in dubious ways. Yet he rarely faces a truly credible opponent.

 

There is no divine edict that, in Philadelphia, politicians who have grown too comfortable with the perks of power must go unchallenged.

 

It is the people of the city who allow this choking political culture that worships raw power, discourages reform, and encourages incumbent complacency. And people can change it.

 

If we had a political culture in which the best and most civic-minded of people saw electoral politics as a great avenue of service, rather than a swamp to be avoided, who knows what serious people with impressive credentials might think of running for this seat.

 

Here are just a few examples:

 

Barbara Capozzi, an activist who leads the Packer Park Civic Association.

 

Colleen Puckett, active in the Queen Village Neighbors Association.

 

Lou Coffey, president of the Center City Residents' Association.

 

Kevin Vaughan, Philadelphia Free Library associate director and former chief of the city Human Relations Commission.

 

If you live in the First District, write in on your ballot one of these names, or that of another local leader you admire, to show your disgust with the city's political system.

 

It is an indictment of that system that we feel compelled to note this: The Inquirer contacted none of those people. Blame us, not them, for their names being listed here. In fact, they are likely to be unhappily surprised by it. Why? Because no one is eager to get on the wrong side of Vince Fumo.

 

Philly politics are nothing like what you read about in civics textbooks. They are a perpetual, eye-gouging clash among Democratic power brokers and the political machines they've built. This often discourages newcomers, be they potential candidates or entrepreneurs, who could be infusing the city with new ideas and new jobs.

 

The first change must be reviving a two-party system in the nation's cradle of democracy. The Democrats' decades-old monopoly has killed the checks-and-balances that political competition provides.

 

What's the case against Fumo, given that he is one of the smartest people in Harrisburg? It's his overreach. He doesn't just stop at doing the people's business. With no political competition to worry about, he uses his clout to bolster his power base and friends.

 

Recall the $17 million Fumo extracted from Peco Energy Co. during the utility deregulation process, all funneled to a group - Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods - founded by a former aide and headed by his deputy chief of staff. Fumo also grooved money from a Delaware River Port Authority fund to his favored groups.

 

Fumo billed taxpayers $73,000 for meals he bought for himself and friends at the pricey La Veranda restaurant. The Feds are looking into his relationship with some nonprofits he helped get government funding for, such as the Independence Seaport Museum, on whose board he sits.

 

Who's going to challenge this man so feared for his power plays and famous for his crude tantrums, such as when he recently called Republican leadership in the Senate "faggots"?

 

When the best the other party can do is offer someone like his current foe, no wonder the senator feels invincible. The city's moribund Republican Party should take itself more seriously as an opposition party.

 

So, this time, the paper's endorsement can only go to the need to reform a damaging political system that nourishes bad habits, tarnishes the city's image, and shuts out newcomers.

 

This time, The Inquirer endorses truly representative politics.

 

Fri, Oct. 29, 2004

Editorial | Pa. First District

Brady knows his role

 

As the quintessential practical politician, Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert A. Brady seems to be hitting his stride.

 

Voters in the First Congressional District - which runs from the city of Chester to Philadelphia's lower Northeast neighborhoods - would be practicing smart politics by returning Brady, 59, to Congress.

 

Brady's Republican challenger, Deborah L. Williams, 35, needs more seasoning. Her work with youth and part-time ministry may give her a good grounding in the majority African American congressional district. But she needs to better school herself in the pertinent issues before taking another run at public office.

 

Brady, of course, is never going to be a policy wonk. But he understands well his role as an urban congressman in the Democratic minority.

 

That role includes being a solid vote for the public's best interest on social programs, the environment, labor, civil rights and women's issues. Consider Brady's explanation of his opposition to the misadventure in Iraq: "We have our own weapons of mass destruction here - homelessness, bad schools, crime."

 

The other role of a member of Congress, which Brady embraces fully, is to secure the region's fair share of federal resources for worthy projects. Whether it's lighting the Platt Memorial Bridge, designating the port as a strategic setting for homeland security purposes, or promoting the huge, new mail-sorting facility in Southwest Philadelphia, Brady has worked hard on behalf of his constituents' interests.

 

For Congress in Pennsylvania's First District, ROBERT A. BRADY is voters' better choice.

 

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