Former President Joe Biden was in town to rally with Gov. Josh Shapiro, Philly Dems — and Big Dom
The lineup featured the incumbent governor, the former president, and Dom "Big Dom" DiSandro, who said of the Eagles: "We’re gonna get this fixed, I promise you.”
Only in Philadelphia does a political rally weeks ahead of the midterm election feature the former president, the governor, the mayor, and the Eagles’ head of security.
That was the lineup Monday night at the Democratic City Committee’s annual fall fundraiser at Live! Hotel & Casino in South Philly, where hundreds of party members and elected officials mingled and speakers celebrated former U.S. Rep. Bob Brady as he marked 40 years leading the party.
It was one of former President Joe Biden’s only recent appearances to rally his party ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, when Democrats are hoping to take control of Congress, flip the state Senate, and keep Gov. Josh Shapiro in office for a second term.
The event, which has been open to press coverage in recent years, was closed on Monday to the media. Tickets to the dinner started at $200, according to a flyer advertising the event.
Videos posted to social media by a Democratic committeeperson show that Biden spoke for about 10 minutes, heaping praise on Brady and telling the crowd that Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis are “doing a hell of a job … that’s why I’m confident voters are going to give us a second term.”
» READ MORE: Bob Brady has chaired Philly’s Democratic Party since 1986. Ward leaders just gave him four more years.
Biden also spoke broadly about the state of the country, and briefly took a swipe at President Donald Trump.
In remarks about David L. Cohen, the Philadelphia political legend who was his U.S. ambassador to Canada, Biden said that Cohen “did such a good job, Trump couldn’t stand it, and now we don’t have Canada as a friend.”
“While we are indeed in dark days, just remember we are one of the only countries in the world that’s come out of every crisis we’ve ever faced stronger,” the former president said. “One thing I know about America, we never give up, and we will not give up now, dammit. There’s no quitting in this country.”
The fundraiser featured a handful of other speakers, including Shapiro, who is running for reelection against Republican Stacy Garrity. He thanked Brady, calling him “a guy who’s held it down for 40 years and a guy who knows that the eyes of the nation are on Pennsylvania and on Philadelphia.”
“I’m grateful to Bob [Brady], I’m grateful to all of you, and I know that you understand what is at stake,” Shapiro said. “Good schools for our kids, protecting the union way of life, raising wages, and protecting our fundamental rights and freedoms in the place where it all started.”
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker then introduced a bevy of fellow elected officials to join her and Brady on stage, including U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon and state House Speaker Joanna McClinton.
A couple of prominent Democrats decided to stay off the stage. Jonathan Saidel, the treasurer of the city committee, quipped that he would not be going up on “that contraption.”
“I’m telling you, that is not union,” he said.
Among the crowd of prominent Democrats, though, was one member of Philadelphia royalty whose day job is not in the traditional halls of power: Dom DiSandro, the Eagles chief security officer known as Big Dom, whose title also includes senior adviser to the general manager and head of “gameday coaching operations.”
He had just flown home from London, where the Birds on Sunday fell to a 2-3 record after losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In brief remarks, DiSandro mentioned “last week’s game” and said, “we’re gonna get this fixed, I promise you.”
DiSandro’s political views have been the subject of speculation since last year, when the Super Bowl champion Eagles visited the White House and Trump said of DiSandro, “This is a guy, they say he loves Trump.”
But on Monday, Big Dom appeared to be Big Dem.
“Congratulations on 40 years of being the head of the Democratic Party,” DiSandro told Brady. “Chairman, I’m honored to be here, especially with someone I consider family. I’m not a big public speaker, but I will say this: Philly, I love you, and go Birds.”
