Slouching Toward Harrisburg

by Brian Hickey

>> SHOWDOWN ON CITY LINE

The word from backstage had Republican gubernatorial wannabe Mike Fisher ready to jet. With just 10 minutes to go before the lights, camera and action of the AARP's candidates forum, hosted by NBC-10 anchor Larry Mendte last weekend, Fisher was itching to take his place onstage. So too was Ed Rendell, who's in the midst of a bloodbath battle for the right to challenge Fisher in the general election. But Rendell's primary opponent, Bob Casey Jr., had not yet arrived at the Adam's Mark Hotel, where the debate was staged, and word was Fisher wouldn't wait a half-hour to start the show. But controversy was averted when the forum kicked off 15 minutes late without Casey, who was apparently delayed en route from Pittsburgh. The Saturday shindig was packaged for a Sunday morning airing on NBC-10. Trying to keep things running as smoothly as possible under the circumstances, Walter Collins, associate state AARP coordinator, reinforced the fact that questions would be limited to the pre-approved issues of prescription drugs, consumer fraud, long-term health care and property taxes. Mendte then urged spectators to "be sparing in applause or other expressions" so the candidates had time to voice their platforms. ("But you can go nuts at the end if you want," he added, which the audience did, voicing a surprising approval for Fisher.) Putting on his broadcast face, Mendte then went to work, introducing Fisher and Rendell while dutifully adding that Casey was late and would join the forum midstream--which he did at 11:31 a.m., just one minute later than promised. If anyone in the house was looking for fireworks, they'd have been better served heading down the hall to join the beefcakes and cake-ettes at the Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships. The closest any of the candidates came to a verbal bench-press was an indirect barb. When Fisher said he supported slot machines at the state's racetracks to bolster revenue for senior citizen programs, Rendell pointed out that he was the first one to advocate the one-armed bandits. (Rendell had said he'd use the revenue to reduce property taxes.) When Rendell said he'd call for a special legislative session upon his election to address those tax issues, including his plan to double taxes on cigarettes, Fisher claimed he was the first to suggest hauling everyone into the Statehouse to tackle the tax quagmire. Having recently appointed new spokeswoman Karen Walsh--who came over from his auditor general's office--to quiet cries that he was running a negative campaign, the soft-spoken Casey kept it pretty positive, only once saying that "Ed and I have a basic disagreement on how to [fund public education]." It was quite a change from the new TV commercials airing in the Philadelphia market, which show three teachers mocking the job Rendell did with the city schools as mayor. (The commercials were among the earliest signs substantiating Casey's promise to campaign heavily in the area between now and the May 21 primary. He had avoided local commercials until now, since the campaign can advertise statewide for the price of running a single commercial here.) The question of whether any of the candidates made a significant impact on the crowd--after discussions about everything from malpractice insurance to age discrimination--won't be answered for another three weeks. But the AARP's Collins knows each candidate needs his organization's help. "We don't make any endorsements and we don't give to any political action committees," he says. "The only thing we have is votes." And in the nation's second-oldest state, Casey, Fisher and Rendell all know that's a pretty good trump card to hold.