Dems Square Off in Heated Phila. Mayoral Debate

by KYW’s Ian Bush

The frontrunners were in the cross hairs as the five major Democratic candidates for Philadelphia mayor debated at Drexel University Friday night.

Tom Knox tops most polls, and Bob Brady pressed him hard on personal finances related to his political philosophy:

"We're out there trying to bring back these men and women that are in harm's way, that are getting killed senselessly in a senseless war, which I believe in -- you're invested in Halliburton, profiting from it."

Knox says he's already offered full disclosure:

"People know that I have money. And I filled it out with every one.  Quite frankly, I don't know what I own in that company."

Brady also questioned Knox’s Democratic Party loyalty, saying he had given money to Republican Party campaigns.

Knox said he lived in a “mixed marriage” -- his wife had been a registered Republican before switching parties so she could vote for her husband. 

“My wife can give checks to [George W.] Bush and [former US Senator Rick] Santorum, and she gave a total of $1500…On the other hand, I’ve given $500,000 to Democrats.  And I think it’s fair to let her give $1500 when I’m giving $500,000.  She can do what she likes,” Knox said.

The candidates agreed that it's time for big changes at City Hall.  

(Brady:) "I do not want any no-bid contracts.  Every contract should be transparent."

Nods, too, across the board that Philadelphia needs, somehow, to circumvent Harrisburg's handcuffing on gun control.  Each of the candidates said they support city council's gun control measure -- though Chaka Fattah worried about its constitutionality -- and each said they'd stand behind a lawsuit against the state legislature.

(Brady:)  "We should be able to solve our own problem with our own laws."

Dwight Evans invoked the name of a boy caught in the crossfire:

"It is unfortunately too many Faheem Thomas-Childs out there who are being shot and killed.  Enough is enough, and I will lead that effort."

Still, Fattah was unrelenting in his criticism of Michael Nutter:

"Where is the councilman's passion for the plight of those who are in our city who are jobless -- he's got so much interest in these other matters -- but who are homeless.  Children who don't have health insurance."

(Nutter:) "I think my record of development in the district I represented stands in high regard."

(Fattah:) "If we could lease the airport and save our children and give them an opportunity, would he be for it?"

(Nutter:) "I think the issue is -- I have a passion for education, and if the congressman hasn't seen it, I'm sorry about that."

Many hands were on the knife digging into Tom Knox, including Evans':

"How did he in any specific way do anything to try to contribute or reduce crime in our city?"

(Knox:) "You shouldn't be asking that question to me, Dwight.  I'm not the one who's been in city council failing for the last five years to get these things under control."

Knox disputed Nutter's claim that Nutter was the only candidate who reformed anything in the city:

"I made real change in those departments and stopped the corruption that was going on."

Nutter summed up the contentious atmosphere of the debate, which was sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Tribune, 6ABC, and Drexel University:

"I thought this was the Channel 6/Philadelphia Tribune debate, not the WWF Smackdown."