NBC: Feds bugged mayor’s office

[Renew Deal]

What is this shit? These people belong in prison. Dep or Repuke. :argh:

Philadelphia official hints at dirty politics amid campaign

NBC NEWS AND NEWS SERVICES

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 8 — A hidden electronic listening device discovered in the City Hall office of Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street was placed there by federal investigators, NBC News has learned. However, a law enforcement official cautioned that the presence of the bug does not necessarily mean that the mayor is under investigation.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/977614.asp

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. IMO, this election is being underplayed

There is a major chance that the Republicans could take over the mayor's office of another major Democratic city. This is a major battleground, and yet another fight we have to win.

[JasonBerry]

2. So...ignore corruption?

Forget that Philly gives a 13 million dollar contract to a firm connected with Street's brother? We are all disgusted with Halliburton - let's not be hypocritical at the municipal level. If Street's a crook - he should be investigated. If guilty - he should get the boot. Period.

[Pale Blue Dot]

3. What facts do you have that I don't?

Yes Street's brother was awarded the contract, and it was proptly recinded once Mayor Street found out about it. Ed Rendell had his wife on the payroll, yet that was never a factor. Now, what is the difference between the two men?

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Unfortunately, I have to agree.

Clean up the party's ethic problems and the votes will eventually come in.

[T Wolf]

5. no they wouldn't

The repukes would just continue their smear tactics and the truth would not matter at all.

Not to defend John Street, but he dealt directly with his brother's contract. That fact makes no difference to the media or repugs.

Thinking that all Democrats have to do is fly straight, limit campaigns to the issues, and present only positive messages to bring back the votes is naive, and self-destructive.

If we do not learn from the tactics (and success) of our enemies, then we will fail.

[rucky]

6. If that's the reality of politics...

then count me out.

[Pale Blue Dot]

7. The reality of Philadelphia politics is this:

Mayor Street has not been shown to have done anything illegal. He has some issues, but most of them have to do with 2 things: 1) No one would describe him as a "warm and fuzzy" person, and 2) he is black.

Ed Rendell was a great mayor, yet he had corruption in his administration, he was no friend to the Philadelphia unions, and he focused on Philadelphia businesses and the Center City area to the detriment of neighborhoods.

Crime has dropped since Street has been in office, thanks to his "safe streets" program.
He has undertaken major initiatives to remove abandoned cars and demolish abandoned buildings.
He has divided power more equitably in a city with a major minority presence.
Businesses have not been leaving the city during his term.

Yet he finds himself under attack, even from the "progressives" on DU. Why is that? WHY IS THAT?

[JasonBerry]

8. Knee-Jerk Support

Street's done some good things....however....we don't NOT investigate corruption with one mayor because it may, or may have not, have been done with another. That reasoning is not "progressive" it is simple cronyism and power-for-the-elite --- a club Street has joined.

[Pale Blue Dot]

9. "simple cronyism and power-for-the-elite"

If your charge is true, and I don't believe that it is, do you honestly believe Republican Sam Katz is going to be different?

[JasonBerry]

10. Again - NOBODY else is the issue

Ed, Dick, Sam....we can talk about them all....but they have nothing to do with anything. The issue is John Street.

Don't get me wrong, I am with you on the preference in overall political philosophy; I just can't support somebody I feel is a tad too far on the seedy side.

[Cheswick2.0]

14. what party are you a part of?

?

[JasonBerry]

17. A Democrat

Can't a Democrat be opposed to municipal corruption? Christ! I thought that was a lot os us are so disgusted with at the federal level. I am a DEMOCRAT!

[Mairead]

11. "Yet he finds himself under attack, even from the 'progressives'. Why?"

The 'Black' and 'not warm and fuzzy' parts might possibly have something to do with that.

[Pale Blue Dot]

15. Thanks

that was sort of my point... :-)

[Mairead]

36. I suspected as much :-)

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. Because no one has explained his position quite as well as you have.

My apologies to Mr. Street. If he has more constituents like you speaking up for him, I'm sure he'll survive this latest smear tactic.

[Cheswick2.0]

13. okay, bye bye

if you can't stand the heat get the hell out of the sauna

[tom_paine]

16. You are already counted out in Imperial Amerika

As are we all. We are Guatemalens, Nicaraguans, Iranians, Iraqis, and Chileans in the eyes of the Busheviks.

They are about to get very serious about their Totalitarianism, IMHO.

[Cheswick2.0]

12. bullshit

"let's not be hypocritical".... yada yada yada

[JasonBerry]

18. Cheswick

I have always enjoyed and respected your progressive posts. I'm sorry my thinking Democrats are not all frickin' saints upsets you. For me, it's just not a philosophical or party thing when it comes to seedy politicians.

[jiacinto]

35. Cheswick is great

nt

[Perky]

19. This could be huge

Dem Mayor Street's office had been bugged apparently by the FBI.

He is in a tough re-election battle against a Republican.

This is only the most populous city in a state that is a huge electoral prixe in 2004. He who controls City Hall will have a major impact on who wins the state and maybe the elcetion.

And they find that the FBI had planted bugs???

Unless this is a crimninal investigation.....(which I doubt sincce there were bugs throughout the mayor's offices) this could be big enough to pull down Ashcroft and *.

Comments?

[Neecy]

26. I agree

And I think that a bigger issue than ethics here is the fact that Asscroft's FBI is bugging the office of a Democratic mayor.

Surely there are better ways to investigate corruption charges than bugging someone's office? Is this perhaps an aggressive method, one that a certain AG might use if he was looking for dirt on the mayor of a powerful city from the opposition party?

Rather than argue the ethics of this guy, I think we need to be questioning the methods here. Bugging has been a horribly misused tool in our history, and one has to wonder exactly why the FBI felt the need to plant this particular bug, and exactly who in the FBI approved it.

Aren't these guys supposed to be chasing terrorists instead of Democratic mayors, anyhow? Reminds me of the big FBI sting of McDonald's game pieces in the month prior to 9/11. Yeah, real big priority there.

[Perky]

33. If Ashcroft is behind this.....OMG!!

It will mean Bush Might not even last out his first term.

[slaveplanet]

43. The ANTI-PATRIOT ACT legislation

Philedelphia is currently pursuing, Makes ASHCROFT suspect #1

[jiacinto]

20. Street is in a tough re-election battle against Sam Katz

Street has had a controversial tenure as mayor. White people in the NE hate him. Frankly I've not been impressed with his tenure, but I can't stand the thought of Bush having an anchor in 2004 in PA.

If Katz did have anything to do with the bug it would hurt his campaign. The latest polls show a bitterly tight race.

[Mandate My Ass]

21. Please explain...

White people in the NE hate him. This is news to me and I live here.

[Perky]

22. Monica!!!

WHat is the local spin on what is going on.....this smells like Nixon-style dirty tricks. Is this front page news? Is the presses hounding the FBI for details?

[Pale Blue Dot]

25. Here is the Philly Inquirer article (front page):

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6957314.htm

A sophisticated electronic listening device with multiple microphones was found yesterday morning hidden in the ceiling of Mayor Street's City Hall office.

Within hours, the FBI said that the eavesdropping device was not related to the mayor's race, but declined to explain how it knew that so quickly.

Pressed whether federal investigators themselves might have planted the bug, FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi said the agency "would not confirm or deny" whether that was the case.

Street emerged from his office yesterday to say: "I have done nothing wrong."

[Mandate My Ass]

27. It's all over the front pages today

This morning it hinted that maybe it was political but now it's all over the place that this is an ongoing FBI investigation.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/6963689.htm

Confirmed: FBI planted bug
By David B. Caruso
Associated Press

Federal law enforcement officials today confirmed that listening devices found in the offices of Mayor John F. Street were planted by the FBI - a discovery that touched off a political furor just weeks before Election Day.

I suspect the stadium deal is perhaps being looked into.

[jiacinto]

23. Okay

NE Philadelphia went 81% for Katz in 1999. I've read the Northeast Times on line and most of the letters to the editors are tinged with racially charged rhetoric.

[Mandate My Ass]

24. The NE *hated* Rendell with a passion

maybe, just maybe, it's not racially motivated.

[jiacinto]

28. Monica, race is part of it

Is it the only factor no? I am not accussing anyone of being a "racist". Frankly both sides have used racially charged rhetoric.

But to deny race is a part of this campaign is being completely naive.

There are plenty of reasons to dislike Street. But I am not going to be a Polyanna either and act as if race isn't a part of the campaign because it clearly is. And it applies to both sides.

[Mandate My Ass]

29. Bullshit

And I'm not naive by a long shot. I probably stopped being naive when you were in diapers. Blanket statements about racism are ignorant and ill-informed and don't even begin to get to the bottom of longstanding *political* antagonisms that have existed for decades.

[tom_paine]

31. Again we agree, Carlos.

(this could get to be a habit)

;-)

You are correct. Philly is one of the most racially embroiled towns I have ever seen, and I have been all over America during the Days of the Old Republic.

To deny it is to deny reality. Cold, hard reality. This is no myth. Take it from someone who was born and bred in NE Philly.

Is it right? Of course not. But it does exist. And how!

[tom_paine]

30. Monica, I believe you are mistaken

If I recall correctly, you live outside Phila?

Not to be smarmy, but I have lived some 22 years off and on IN NE Philly.

NE Philly did not hate Rendell. He was loved there, by and large.

NE Philly does indeed hate Street. And much of it is racially motivated (though to be honest, Street is your standard corrupt Philly pol and thus there are plenty of non-racial reasons to dislike him).

Sorry, Monica, but I believe you are very much wrong on this one. I have friends and family still in the NE whom I speak to regularly.

[Mandate My Ass]

32. there was animosity because of his center city focus

to the exclusion of NE philly as is stated in this article. I have no doubt there are plenty of yahoos in NE philly who hate the idea of an African American mayor, but I doubt it's as cut and dried and as universal as some people are making it out to be.

http://www.northeasttimes.com/2002/0501/casey.html

CAMPAIGN ’02: Ward leaders are just wild about Casey

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

If former Mayor Ed Rendell is going to win the Democratic nomination for governor, he’ll have to do it without almost the entire Northeast Philadelphia political establishment.
State Auditor General Bob Casey Jr. was in the area on Sunday to show off all of the support that he has in the Northeast.

[JM]

37. WAS THERE A WARRANT?!?!

Was there a warrant issued by a Federal Judge for the bug, or was this one of the new unsigned investigations allowed under the Patriot Act? This is the question the media should be asking.

Later,
JM

[jiacinto]

38. Not sure

nt

[Ramsey]

39. This is very suspicious

The news here in Philly today is that the FBI has actually "ramped up" its investigation and is grabbing "evidence" from various offices in City Hall and elswhere, but not from Street's office that I've heard.

Regardless, this whole thing just STINKS of Rovian dirty tricks. A commentator on NPR this morning pointed out that someone very high at the Justice Department would have to approve a tap on such a high ranking official as John Street, possibly Ashcroft himself. I can't believe they couldn't get some right wing judge to sign off on it either.

In addition, the US Attorney in charge of the probe, Patrick Meehan, has deep Republican ties. He ran Arlen Specter's 1992 campaign, then ran Rick Santorum's campaign in 1994. He got his current lofty appointment because of these strong GOP ties. Even IF there is a legitimate investigation going on, the timing of the planting of the bug is very suspect, given that it was highly likley to be found right before the election. Meehan, as a former political operative, simply had to have been aware of the potential repercussions of the investigation becoming known.

The corruption allegations regarding ticket fixing and cronyism have been levelled some time ago, so the timing of this bugging incident is highly questionable. The FBI and US Attorney have gone out of their way to vindicate the Republican Katz campaign of any involvement in the bug, and then made only a vague statement that Street had been informed of his "status" without commenting at all that his status is NOT as a target of any investigation.

And by the way, Street hasn't actually been personally accused of any wrongdoing, and certainly not charged with anything, so can we be allow the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Yes, his administration may commit cronyism, yes his brother's company received an airport contract that Mayor Street took away when it was criticized, yes there was a ticket fixing scnadal some time back, but none of this has been laid directly at Street's feet.

[jiacinto]

42. Street's term has been less than stellar

But this does look suspicious.

[patdem]

40. WHEN were the listening devices placed?? In order to discredit or

was there reason BEFORE they were planted. The first question I asked my sig other was. Is the Mayor of Philadelphia black? That was my VERY first thought. America has it out for black politicians and I do not believe they are any worse than white politicians...and not any BETTER, but they are the focus of more corruption investigations than their numbers should indicate.

Oh, by the way, I am white, but not blind!

[Ramsey]

41. Last office sweep in July

The mayor's office was last routinely swept for bugs in July, according to his spokesman, and there were no bugs at that time, so they have been planted in the past 2 months. Again, any investigations into incidents that I am aware of should have been intiated long before that, so the timing is very suspect.

They also said that anyone in law enforcement in Philly would know that routine sweeps are conducted.