Larry Farnese

PHILADELPHIA -- Larry Farnese certainly heard some crickets as he got off to a rough start in his comedy routine at Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's Candidates Comedy Night.

But Farnese, the Democratic candidate for the 1st Senatorial District, finished strong with some poetry.

Below is a video of his performance: 

Another computer technician from state Sen. Vince Fumo's office pled guilty to obstruction Tuesday, making him the second technician from Fumo's office who will testify against the Philadelphia Democrat when his trial begins next month.

Mark Eister acknowledged in court that he took part in a conspiracy to obstruct FBI and IRS investigations into Fumo, The Inquirer reports. Fumo, accused of misusing taxpayer and chairty money for personal and political reasons, has denied any wrongdoing, but is not seeking reelection because of the looming trial.

Democrat Larry Farnese is running against Republican Jack Morley to replace the 30-year incumbent in the 1st Senatorial District. 

GOP candidate for state Treasurer Tom Ellis went colonial for his turn at Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's Comedy NightPHILADELPHIA-There were jokes about John McCain's age. Jokes about Gov. Ed Rendell's robust figure. Jokes about Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's nerdy voice. And, oh, were there ever jokes about Vince Fumo's witness list.

And that was all before Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr made a surprise appearance.

It was one of the local political establishment's favorite nights here Tuesday night, as candidates for statewide races, Congressional races and down-ballot race joined a bevy of political insiders for Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky's annual Candidates Comedy Night. In its 18th year, the fundraiser for a children's charity put more than a dozen political candidates on stage, not to campaign, but to make people laugh.

"The candidates before me tonight are not professional comics," Bykofsky warned his audience before U.S. Rep. Bob Brady opened the show. "They will prove that in a moment."

With state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia) scheduled to go on trial in less than a month, the Daily News' political gossip page ponders who might take his place as ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Fumo, the 30-year incumbent who dropped his re-election bid in the spring because of the federal indictment he has to fight this fall, is renowned for the billions of dollars he has brought back to Philadelphia from his perch atop Appropriations.

The contenders to take over the Senate cash register? The Daily News says Fumo is backing state Sen. Sean Logan (D-Allegheny) over some local colleagues.  It was Logan who helped raise significant sums of money for Fumo's preferred replacement, and the eventual primary victor, Larry Farnese.

One of the potential replacements the Daily News says Fumo is spurning in favor of Logan, state Sen. Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), supported John Dougherty, Fumo's bitter political foe, in the primary race against Farnese.
 

Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Reps Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, and even former 76ers coach Larry Brown are just some of the big names on state Sen. Vince Fumo's (D-Philadelphia) list of potential witnesses for his looming federal corruption trial.

The witness list, reported by The Inquirer and The Daily News, names 267 people who could potentially be called to testify at Fumo's trial, which now starts in less than a month.

Also headlining the defense witness list are Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, and Philadelphia City Council President Anna Verna.

Fumo, the 30-year incumbent and Philadelphia political icon, is accused of improperly using Senate money and money from a charity he oversaw for personal and political gain. He has denied any wrongdoing, but decided not to run for reelection in the spring because of the indictment against.

Center City attorney Larry Farnese won a three-way Democratic primary battle to replace Fumo in April. He faces underdog Republican Jack Morley in November, and is widely expected to be the next state Senator in the 1st Senatorial District.

A former employee of state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia) pled guilty today to obstructing the investigation into the 30-year incumbent, and will testify at Fumo's fall corruption trial, The Associated Press reports.

The plea was expected, with prosecutor previously saying that Leonard Luchko, a former computer technician in Fumo's district office, would be the first defendant in the case to plead guilty. He pled guilty to 29 obstruction-related counts, The AP reports.

Fumo, a Philadelphia political icon, annonced this spring that he would not seek reelection because of the "cloud" of indictment hanging over him. He is accused of misusing Senate money and money from a charity he oversaw for personal and political gain, but has denied any wrongdoing.

Democrat Larry Farnese won a primary battle to replace Fumo in April, and faces underdog Republican candidate Jack Morley in November in the First Senatorial District.

More bad news arrived for state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia) Wednesday, when federal prosecutors said a former computer technician in his office would plead guilty and testify against him.

If Leonard Luchko does indeed plead guilty Monday, it would mark the first guilty plea in the massive corruption case against Fumo. The 30-year incumbent and Philadelphia political icon faces a 139-count indictment in a trial scheduled to begin this fall.

He has denied any wrongdoing, but opted not to run for reelection this spring because of the indictment. Democrat Larry Farnese is expected to beat underdog Republican Jack Morley to replace Fumo in the First Senatorial District.

Almost three months after a stunning loss in his bid for state Senate, powerful Philadelphia union leader John Dougherty suffered another political setback this week when a federal court struck down attempts by his union PAC to keep its spending secret.

The political wing of Dougherty's IBEW Local 98 had hoped to keep details of its $2.5 million spending from last year secret, and has been warring with the city's Ethics Board over racially-charged flyers distributed last year during last year's mayoral primary, in which Dougherty supported millionaire Tom Knox over eventual winner Michael Nutter.

Dougherty's electricians' union had argued that laws requiring disclosure of its spending violated the group's constitution rights. But Chief Judge Harvey Bartle III shot down that assertion as "patently inconsistent" with previous federal rulings on requirements for political action committee reporting, The Daily News reports.

The union is considering its appeal options. 

Preparing to defend himself this fall against a massive federal corruption indictment, state Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia) said Friday that he would not return to the senate floor before his term ends, The Inquirer reports.

His announcement, made during a holiday session on the chamber floor, was not unexpected, as Fumo is marshalling considerable resources to fight the 139-count indictment. He is accused of, among other things, using taxpayer money for political purposes. He has denied any wrongdoing.

"I will miss it terribly. I spent half my life here and I spent it here with every fiber in my body," the 30-year incumbent said. "I've loved it, I've hated it. I've had great experiences and very sad ones."

Larry Farnse addresses voters at a potluck dinner: Politicker PhotoPHILADELPHIA -- Democrats here didn't know much about young Larry Farnese before they made him their nominee for state Senate in the 1st district in April. They knew The Inquirer had endorsed him as something of a lesser-of-two-evils option. They heard inklings that the indicted incumbent who wasn't seeking re-election, Vincent Fumo, was backing Farnese, a Center City lawyer. But that was about it.

So it's fitting that after stunning his favored opponent and now facing a general election far less competitive than his primary, Farnese has been ntraversing the district telling his story. Sunday evening, he brought his general election campaign to the Fairmount section of the district, an area that went heavily for Anne Dicker, his underdog opponent in the primary. The online blurb inviting people to attend the potluck where Farnese would talk alluded to how little voters know about him.

"If you are like me, you do not know much about him other than the sketchy things that appeared in the media and political circulars that appeared during the campaign," wrote Bill Sensiba, a retired political science professor who hosted the potluck. "We really should know more about the man who probably will be our next state senator."