Philadelphia Tribune endorses Dougherty

Electricians union leader John J. Dougherty was endorsed yesterday by the Philadelphia Tribune in the three-way Democratic primary to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.

In announcing its support, the nation's oldest African American newspaper noted that it has been critical of Dougherty on racial inclusion in his union and refusal to disclose the number of minorities in Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

"For many readers, this will be a surprising choice," the editorial said.

Still, the paper said, Dougherty has promised to increase the minority presence in his union, and during his campaign has "made an effort to reach out to African Americans, particularly in the Point Breeze section of his district where many residents say they have been neglected for years."

The paper also noted that Dougherty had won the support of some African American leaders, including State Sen. Anthony H. Williams and Sheriff John Green.

"As an elected official, Dougherty can be held even more accountable for his actions than as a labor leader, and we plan to do just that," the Tribune said.

Dougherty's opponents are Larry Farnese and Anne Dicker, who both said yesterday that they had not been invited by the Tribune for an endorsement interview. Dougherty's campaign manager said Dougherty had an endorsement interview.

A flash point in the race flared yesterday over a Farnese TV ad that Dicker and the Dougherty campaign complained misrepresented an Inquirer editorial endorsing Farnese. (Dicker has been endorsed by the Philadelphia Daily News.)

Harold Jackson, The Inquirer's editorial page editor, said, "We reviewed the ad and saw some things that were not accurate and asked the Farnese campaign to change them."

He questioned in particular one line in the ad that called Farnese a "leader on ethics." The editorial said Farnese was "campaigning on the kind of ethics reform that might have kept Fumo out of trouble."

"We paraphrased," said Ken Snyder, Farnese's media adviser. "We were flattered by the praise they gave Larry regarding his effort in ethics. But they write wordy editorials and I write 30-second commercials. . . . We're perfectly comfortable using that language."

Josh Morrow, a spokesman for Dougherty, called Farnese "a fraud" and said, "Everything he says, you can't believe."

Said Dicker of Farnese: "How can he call himself a reformer and make up quotes?"

Countered Snyder: "Seven weeks ago, when he was running TV commercials about Harrisburg reform, nobody cared. Today, he's running a commercial still talking about Harrisburg reform and he's first place and now he's being attacked." There was no way to verify that claim because there has been no independent polling in the race.

The Justice Department's Voting Rights Division, in the meantime, has notified candidates in the race that it will be watching the voting Tuesday and provided contact information for registering complaints.

Farnese had asked for federal intervention, saying Dougherty's union members had a history of hard-nosed electioneering and "will be a source of threats, intimidation, obstruction or coercion."

Dougherty's campaign called Farnese's complaint "baseless innuendo."

The Committee of Seventy, the watchdog group, also has announced plans to post 140 observers, mostly lawyers and law students, throughout the First District to thwart any election-day shenanigans.