A Very Brady Screw-Up

U.S. CONGRESSMAN Bob Brady wants desperately to be the next mayor of Philadelphia, and he's been a local Democratic kingmaker for so long, he seems to feel it's his divine right. Brady's candidacy has been challenged by a couple of his primary opponents because he failed to note his city pension on financial disclosure documents he was required to file with the rest of his paperwork. He claims it was an honest mistake, and since he had little to gain by withholding the information in the first place, I'm inclined to believe him. But that's not the issue.

There is only one question that must be answered: If this were any other candidate for any other office, do you think he'd be permitted to stay on the ballot? Me, neither.

If a U.S. Representative can't obey the letter of the law, I cannot endorse him to serve as chief executive of a city in dire need of some clean-handed leadership. My guess is that Brady will retain his candidacy, as there are too many powerful people who owe him too many favors, but if the city were serious about cleaning up its act -- a Liberty Place-sized if, to be sure -- it would hold all of its citizens to the same standards.

Hey, come on, stop laughing.