Clout: Taubenberger: I'm running for Council next year

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the Republican easily defeated in the 2007 race for mayor by Michael Nutter, will run for a City Council at-large seat next year, he told PhillyClout during the traditional Election Day lunch at the Famous 4th Street Deli.

And Taubenberger will have a familiar face running his campaign - Chris Wright, former chief of staff to Councilman Jack Kelly. Wright was released from federal prison in July to pursue an appeal after serving 10 months of a four-year sentence for corruption charges.

"It's good to be home," said Wright. "I'm trying to catch up with how everyone is thinking. The best way is on Election Day."

Taubenberger served as a character witness in Wright's 2009 federal trial. Wright expects a hearing on his appeal in March, which may decide his fate before the May primary election. "I'm looking forward to a full reversal and acquittal," Wright said.

Taubenberger plans to borrow a page from the Kelly playbook and present himself as the man from the Northeast who will look out for the Northeast.

Kelly is widely expected to retire, though he has not said so.

"He's a good friend," Taubenberger said. "I can't see him running. But that's his decision."

Green has a favorite for mayor

Councilman Bill Green has a favorite candidate for mayor in the May 2011 primary election.

We can answer two of your three questions about that. It's not Nutter. And it's not Green, despite the rampant speculation that he will challenge Nutter for the job.

"I have a candidate that is my favorite. If that person has the guts to announce, I'll support them," Green said while declining to identify his favored candidate. "I do think the city deserves a debate about the next four years. I think the last three have not been good. We wasted an economic crisis and made at best, marginal insignificant changes."

Green again said he would not run for mayor, even if the person he hopes will run fails to find the intestinal fortitude to do so.

Return of the Black Panther

The Guild House West, a 14th Ward polling place at 12th Street and Fairmount Avenue, was thrust onto the national map in 2008 when two members of the New Black Panther Party patrolled outside. One of them held a nightstick, prompting complaints of voter intimidation.

One of the pair, poll watcher Jerry Jackson, was at his post again yesterday. Clad in a black leather jacket, black beret and dark sunglasses, Jackson distributed Democratic sample ballots.

That loud sound you just heard was the right-wing blogosphere exploding in giddy rage.

"Things are going smooth so far," Jackson said. "I'm just making sure everything's all right."

Conservative pundits sputtered with rage for months after U.S. Department of Justice filed suit in January 2009, alleging that the pair engaged in voter intimidation, won a default judgment and then dropped the case.

Jackson had a good laugh yesterday when we noted that he was not carrying the nightstick that caused all that commotion in 2008.

"Nightsticks?" he asked. "Ha, ha ha. That's very funny . . . no, no nightsticks this time."

Blackwell badgers Williams

The Famous 4th Street lunch tends to be a backslapping, glad-handing affair, but tensions do bubble to the surface from time to time. Consider the tense moment between Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams.

We dropped our bagel and lox midbite to observe and report.

Williams tells us that Blackwell was upset because she heard he would be supporting Alicia Burbage, a former staffer who is challenging Blackwell for her 3rd district seat next year.

"That's her story, not mine," Williams said, insisting he wasn't behind Burbage's run.

Blackwell said she had been concerned but was happy to hear Williams is with her. "We'll take his support as always," she said.

Quotable:

"No official word yet. He's not running for mayor."

- David L. Cohen, executive vice president of Comcast, when asked what the future holds for Gov. Rendell.

Staff writers Catherine Lucey and Queen Muse contributed to this report.

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brennac@phillynews.com.

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