I've been receiving reports from some of the city's Democratic Ward Leaders, who gathered today to hear a pitch from former President Bill Clinton on behalf of his wife in anticipation of Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.
According to sources who just left the meeting, attended by Mayor Nutter and U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, both of whom have publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton, the former president gave a passionate pitch for his wife's candidacy for president, but ward leaders voted to defer making an official endorsement until they have a chance to hear from both candidates in person.
Fifth District Ward Leader Michael Boyle, who represents parts of Center City, said Sens. Obama and Clinton will be invited to address the city Dems' Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, to be held April 14.
"I think the plan is to invite the both of them, and I think the thinking is that they should both be there," Boyle said after the meeting.
Obama's pitchman today was U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who, like Pres. Clinton, fielded questions from the assembled ward leaders, many of whom sported buttons advertising their support for Obama or Clinton. "There was a question about will (Obama) man up when the right-wing attack machine goes up against him," said one ward leader, who asked not to be identified by name but described himself as "an Obama guy."
Boyle said it's a legitimate question for both candidates, but he thinks either will be up for it. "Republicans are going to scare people, which is what they do best," he said.
Still, despite the hard sell from both candidates' camps -- nobody's losing sight of November. "No matter who wins (the nomination), everybody in that room is going to be 150 percent behind them," one ward leader said. "There's nobody who doesn't like both of them, and everybody at the end of the day is going to be on the same team."
One Democratic committeeman, who was not at the meeting today, echoed that: "Oh, I hate Hillary, but I am what I am, so . . . "
At the meeting, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, head of the city's Democratic Committee, described himself as a superdelegate who remains uncommitted to either Obama or Clinton.
* from that 'Obama guy' ward leader
