Street's inside game
T. Milton Street's challenge of Anthony Hardy Williams' signatures seems to open an escape hatch for the blowhard pol
We expect politicians to, um, dissemble (that means lie) and we expect they to assemble the dissemble most during the campaign season. People who had been friends, or at least allies, turn on each other without remorse.
So it comes to pass that mayoral candidate T. Milton Street, former state rep, state senator (and guest in a state institution for failing to file tax returns) scoffed at the 15,000 petition signatures turned in by state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams.
More than scoffed. "I will guarantee you his signatures are fraudulent, and almost as much as 75 percent of them," adding he would withdraw if he was wrong.
Only 1,000 valid signatures are needed to get on the ballot.
Even if (assuming Street is correct, which is dubious, despite his anonymous sources for the allegation), that would strike 11,250 signatures, leaving 3,750 valid signatures, more than enough to keep Williams on the ballot.
The way I read what Street says, that means Street should withdraw.
And that may be his play — withdraw to avoid the embarrassment of being whipped.
He hasn't always been the best when it comes to keeping his word.
In 2007, preparing to run for mayor, he said if 5,000 people didn't attend his announcement, he would withdraw.
They didn't and he didn't.
Well, he did about five days later after defiantly saying he wouldn't.
Street returned in 2011 to challenge sitting Mayor Michael Nutter in the primary and won 24% of the vote, which has made him think, apparently, he controls 24% of the vote.
Most of that vote was from anti-Nutter or "let's just have fun with Uncle Miltie" voters. It wasn't an endorsement of him.
Street just doesn't seem to get the joke.