Clout: Readers tell candidates what to say in Pa.

YESTERDAY, columnist

Michael Smerconish

offered his advice to presidential candidates

Hillary Clinton

,

Barack Obama

and

John McCain

on things they need to know to campaign in Pennsylvania.

Today, the readers get their turn.

From Paul Carter: "It's not called Italian ice or water ice, it's wada ice.

"Yes, we booed Santa, but we had a good reason for it.

"We ride the trolley, the sub or the el to get to work in the morning, not taxis.

"If you're in South Philly and there are cars parked in the middle of the street, it's OK."

From Chris, a Pitt alum in Huntington Valley, on the collective group noun: "Pittsburghers say 'Yinz' and refer to themselves as 'Yinzers' (not youse as in Philly). An example, 'Yinz guys wanna get a few Iron Citys and Primanti's before the Brownies and Stillers today?' "

From Bill Wilson in Wallingford: "The food chain Acme is pronounced 'Ack-a-me.'

"KOP is an area - King of Prussia - but it refers to the massive King of Prussia Mall.

"Delco isn't a car battery, it's how locals refer to Delaware County.

"Swarthmore College, in Delco, was founded by the Quakers and is one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. It is often referred to as 'The Kremlin on the Crumm' (the creek that is on the campus).

"The largest of Pennsylvania's 67 counties (in land area) is Lycoming and the smallest is its neighbor - Montour."

Finally, Lee Ament says, "Make sure to say you're going to Wawa for a Shorti [in eastern Pa.] and going to Sheetz for an MTO in the west. Confusing the two could cost you everything."

Brady's advice: Get personal

Now, some advice from a professional. We asked U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, chairman of the Democratic City Committee, how best to win the hearts of ward leaders - those entrepreneurial free spirits whose enthusiasm on Election Day can make a difference for any candidate.

"Politics is two things: a personal touch and relationships," Brady said. "When someobdy helps you, you want to be in a position to help them."

It is also about respect.

"Everybody wants to feel important," he said, "and [Clinton and Obama] have time to use their personal touch. You have six weeks to make 69 phone calls."

There are 69 ward leaders.

"How long would it take?" Brady asked. "It doesn't need to be a 90-minute call. You just say, 'I need your support, I need your help, I hope to see you at dinner on the 14th' [the April 14 Jefferson-Jackson day dinner]."

"People like the personal touch. When Bill Clinton walked up to you on the ropeline and asked, 'How are you doing?' you really believed that he wanted to know."

Unions balk at Obama

Clout reported two weeks ago that the Philadelphia Building Trades Council might endorse Barack Obama for president.

Building Trades business manager Pat Gillespie couldn't make that happen, but he got two phone calls from Obama himself, including one as the Council was meeting Wednesday morning.

"I joked with him," Gillespie said. "I said, 'The black guys are with you but I can't get the white guys.' "

Gillespie said Obama joked back.

"Tell them I'm half white," Obama said. "Tell them I'm Irish."

"If I tell them you're Irish, I lose the Italians," Gillespie responded.

Gillespie said he was kidding, that support for Obama and Hillary Clinton among the trades didn't break along racial lines.

Gillespie favored endorsing Obama, but when he couldn't get the votes, he dropped the idea and no vote was taken.

"Some of the locals belong to internationals that have endorsed Clinton," Gillespie said. "I didn't want to put them in positions where they'd be doing things against what their national unions were doing."

Gillespie said another factor was the trades' focus on helping electricians union leader John Dougherty in his state Senate race against incumbent Vince Fumo and candidates Anne Dicker and Larry Farnese.

"I didn't want anyone's efforts [for Dougherty] being diluted or distracted because of hard feelings if we forced an issue that was contentious," Gillespie said.

Dom switches to Dem!

Big Talker 1210 AM evening host Dom Giordano is taking Rush Limbaugh's advice and switching his party affiliation so he can vote for Hillary Clinton in the upcoming primary.

Giordano is urging his listeners to do the same thing.

He told Daily News columnist Dan Gross that he's been registered Republican for most of his life.

He'll switch back after he votes for Clinton in the Democratic primary April 22. He'll vote for John McCain in the general election, but he'd rather McCain face Clinton than Barack Obama.

First, Giordano says, "nothing will fire up the conservative base . . . unless they're coming out to vote against Hillary."

Also, Giordano says he is not confident in Obama being tough enough against "the Islamo-fascist threat."

Of Clinton, Giordano says that while he doesn't "agree with her policies or agenda," he also doesn't share the "crazed animus people have over Hillary Clinton."

Babette: Push poll?

Voters in Center City's 182nd House district started receiving automated telephone calls yesterday from the campaign of state Rep. Babette Josephs, asking them which candidate they are supporting in the Democratic primary.

"Press one for Rep. Babette Josephs, press two for insurance industry representative Peggy Banaszek, press three for electrician Bobby Gormley or press four if you're undecided," an automated voice instructs.

A legislator versus an insurance agent or electrician?

"I think we're talking about them as they define themselves," said Josephs' campaign manager, Susan Gobreski.

Banaszek's Web site identifies her as "an effective project manager in Medicare and health-insurance industries." Gormley is on the examining board of Local 98 of the electricians union.

Gobreski said that the calls are being used to check the accuracy of the campaign's voter list and to identify supporters.

Bill Clinton here today

Democratic City committee is meeting today, and former President Bill Clinton was scheduled to make a pitch for his wife, the presidential candidate, at noon.

A surrogate for Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at 1 p.m.

Whether the ward leaders will make an endorsement after the pitch sessions is another matter.

We think it may take a few more weeks of courting.

Clinton also drops by the campus of Penn State-Brandywine in Media, Delaware County, for a 1:45 p.m. rally open to the public. *

Staff writers Gar Joseph, Dave Davies, Dan Gross and Chris Brennan contributed to this report.