O'Brien effort thwarts challenge

It's official: State House Speaker Dennis O'Brien, a Republican, will run for reelection as a Democrat. Well, sort of.

In keeping with the creative deal with Democrats in January 2007 that landed him the speaker's job - and the ire of many Republicans - O'Brien held off an underground write-in campaign in the April 22 primary.

Although he had no Republican opposition in the primary, and although no Democratic candidate even appeared on the ballot, O'Brien supporters staged a write-in campaign to prevent Democratic write-in candidate Edward C. Kaiser from getting a spot on the ballot.

O'Brien, whose district covers much of Northeast Philadelphia, ousted former Republican Speaker John Perzel last year in a pact with majority Democrats. The move preempted Perzel from keeping his position by peeling off his own set of Democrats to vote with Republicans, who had previously held the majority.

Unofficial write-in returns give O'Brien a 1,300 to 400 victory over newcomer Kaiser for the Democratic nomination, according to the Board of Elections. A candidate needed at least 300 votes to win a spot on the ballot in November.

- Jeff Shields

As Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey explained his sweeping reorganization of the Police Department to the media last week, an odd couple stood shoulder to shoulder behind him: Fraternal Order of Police president John McNesby and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Everett Gillison.

McNesby was livid in January, when Nutter named Gillison - a lifelong public defender - his public safety czar. The biggest FOP objection to Gillison's resumé was his representation in 2006 of Solomon Montgomery, who was convicted of killing Police Officer Gary Skerski.

McNesby publicly condemned Gillison's appointment in a letter. Later, when McNesby discovered that he and Gillison were booked to appear on the same panel at a Temple Law School forum on gun violence, he refused to share the stage with the deputy mayor and walked out on the event.

"That's old news," McNesby said last week, when asked about his feud with Gillison. "We made our point on that and moved forward. We're professionals, we do what's right for the city."

Gillison turned the other cheek when McNesby objected to his appointment. In remarks he made to a reporter before Ramsey's news conference, Gillison said he thought he was making progress on winning the police over.

He was right about that.

- Patrick Kerkstra

Rizzo nabs Leon King

Among the top City Hall brass whom Mayor Nutter did away with upon taking office in January was Prisons Commissioner Leon A. King.

But a few weeks ago, King resurfaced. His new boss: City Councilman Frank Rizzo.

"He's smart, he knows the people, and he knows his way in and out of the Law Department," Rizzo said of King, the No. 1 prison official throughout most of former Mayor John F. Street's administration.

Rizzo turned to King after his longtime director of legislation left for a private-sector job. "Our professional relationship is a good one," the councilman said.

How long will King stay? "Who knows?" Rizzo said, acknowledging that King is making about half of the $128,000 he earned as prisons commissioner. "I'm sure he will find a job eventually that will pay him the money he is used to making. But for now, he is doing a valuable service to me."

- Marcia Gelbart