Clout: An invitation open to questions
THE BEREAN INSTITUTE, a 111-year-old North Philly adult vocational school, has stumbled upon hard times recently. It ran into some fresh trouble this week while organizing a fund-
THE BEREAN INSTITUTE, a 111-year-old North Philly adult vocational school, has stumbled upon hard times recently. It ran into some fresh trouble this week while organizing a fund-
raiser for state House candidate Michelle Brownlee.
The school's staff sent out about 150 invitations for the Wednesday-evening event that were rife with errors. A second try still had problems. The third version got the facts right.
But problems persist.
The state revoked the institute's accreditation and academic license in 2007 and 2008.
An attorney for the Pennsylvania Department of State said that as a nonprofit agency, Berean can't participate in political activity to support or oppose a candidate for state office.
Lorraine Poole-Naranjo, Berean's president, said that she wrote up the language for the invitations, which were then printed and mailed by her staff while she was out of town at a conference.
Among the problems: It called Brownlee a state representative. She's been on the staff for 37 years of state Rep. Frank Oliver, who is retiring after four decades in the 195th District seat. The invitation also said that the Berean Institute was hosting the fundraiser.
Poole-Naranjo showed us the final version, which clarified that it was hosted by "Friends of Berean Institute." She described that as a "fledgling group" trying to help Berean get back on its feet. It put up a $200 donation to use the school's lobby, Poole-Naranjo added.
The Friends of Berean is not registered with the Department of State as a nonprofit, as a political-action committee or as any other type of organization.
So, it still looks as if the nonprofit put on the fundraiser.
Brownlee, a Berean alumna and former board member, took it in stride that the invitation was being passed around to reporters. She said that that must mean she's a serious threat to win the May 18 primary election.
Brownlee faces Anthony Ingargiola, who thinks that the whole affair demonstrates bad judgment.
"It's pretty clear to anybody who got it that this is coming from the Berean Institute," he said. "I don't know how you explain that away."
Poole-Naranjo was chagrined by what she called a "comedy of errors" on the fundraiser invitation.
"When we caught the errors, I said, 'Oh, my gosh, we're doing damage to Michelle!' " she said. "I'm not a political novice. This isn't my first year. I'm so embarrassed by this."
Specter and Sestak face off
Saturday night's all right for fighting for U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and his primary challenger, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who will face off at 7 p.m. tomorrow in a debate televised live on Fox 29.
The two have been trading broadsides. Specter fired the first salvo in a television commercial last week, accusing Sestak of poor leadership during his time in the Navy. Sestak responded with the backing of military veterans who said that Specter, a former Republican, had gone too far.
This was always shaping up to be an interesting week for Specter, who marked one year as a Democrat on Wednesday, saying he didn't want his five terms in the Senate judged by the GOP's primary-election voters.
Former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, who narrowly lost to Specter in the 2004 GOP primary, used the anniversary of the party-switch to raise money from supporters. And Sestak jumped all over an interview Specter gave to the Morning Call of Allentown, wondering if he should have stuck it out in the Republican Party.
Another Daily News fan
Seems that Zane Memeger, headed for confirmation as the next U.S. attorney in Philadelphia, has a fondness for the Daily News. In a written questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Memeger was asked to list all interviews he had given to newspapers, magazines or other publications, or to radio and television stations.
Memeger cited 10 interviews with the Daily News, the most of any news organization. (The Inquirer had just four citations.)
Memeger noted that he had "done best" to "identify all items called for in this question."
Quotable:
"I think Ed came to Harrisburg thinking he could push around the General Assembly like he pushed around City Council. And he couldn't."
- Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, a Democratic candidate for governor, on Gov. Rendell.
Staff writer Michael Hinkelman contributed to this report.
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