Ward Leaders Pick Dougherty; Farnese Advisor Leaves Casino; Radio Debate

Eleven out of 17 city Democratic ward leaders will support John Dougherty in the 1st Senate disctrict race to replace Vincent Fumo.
"The committee's support traditionally boosts a candidate's profile among party loyalists and with get-out-the-vote efforts on primary day," report the Inquirer's Joseph Gambardello and Marcia Gelbart.
"People think Dougherty's going to win and they want to be with a winner," one ward leader who asked not to be named told Bob Warner in the Daily News. "Johnny Doc plays politics a little on the rough side and everyone knows it, but this is not a personality contest."
Larry Farnese, who also pleaded his case before ward leaders, received the support of five ward leaders -- after making a bold play. Farnese said of Dougherty: "He's a thug that has tried to intimidate my staff, supporters and volunteers - including some people in this room - making veiled physical threats, promising legal action, and every time acting like the bully that he is... John Dougherty is not a nice guy. . . But some of you know what kind of man John Dougherty is, and you ignore it."

On the radio: WHYY had its own 1st Senate candidates' panel on "Radio Times" yesterday. Dave Davies asked questions of Anne Dicker, Larry Farnese, and John Dougherty. Listen to the whole thing here (RealAudio). Beyond the campaign issues, Davies asked Dougherty about the case of Donald "Gus" Dougherty that has involved allegations of illegal payments from Donald Dougherty to John Dougherty as a union official and federal authorities executing a serach warrant at John Dougherty's house.

"Should voters be concerend about your integrity, given this?" Davies asked.

Dougherty said: "I would not be running for State Senate if I thought there was any issues here. Some of the allegations that were made, if there was any validity to them, I would have been named on the front page of that document about Donald Dougherty. Right now we have 104 coffee klatches under our belt. We have 134 contacts as of now as of now in the campaign. That issue has come up a handful of times at best. Other than some of the print media and one of my competitors bringing it up, the concerns have been about guns, and jobs, and education....In reference to integrity, I don't think that's ever been a question."

Farnese advisor resolves conflict: Ken Snyder has been working as a consultant to the proposed SugarHouse casino and also for Farnese, who wants to re-site the casino. Backers of the casino said it wasn't working for them. Now he's not working with the casino.
Reports Chris Brennan in the Daily News: "Leigh Whitaker, a SugarHouse spokeswoman, said that the developers wanted to keep Snyder on the job but considered his work for Farnese to be a conflict. They see little difference between opposing their location and opposing casinos in general, she said."