Mayoral race: No ‘joke,’ Milton Street in it to win it

When Milton Street announced his candidacy to Metro in February, he said he would fight for the “forgotten people” whose support alone could get him elected since he planned “zero fundraising efforts.” He added anybody who wrote him off as a joke candidate, like his opponent did in 2007, would be making a crucial mistake.

Nothing much has changed, making it seem as if everything’s going to plan. That applies to getting endorsed by both the firefighters union and District Council 33, which counters any “joke” assertion.

He knows full well that he “can’t change a Nutter voter,” so talking points didn’t surface at a recent campaign stop at Broad Street and Girard Avenue. Milton was continually recognized: patting backs, hugging supporters and even connecting with a homeless guy peddling loose cigarettes who just wanted a willing ear.

“The next [eight] days are critical. People are just starting to pay attention,” Street said. “I was expecting people to have no idea what was going on, but they know [Nutter] as stop-and-frisk, as closing libraries, as brownouts.”

They feel helpless. They need somebody real in City Hall.”

Debate fight, but not on the airwaves

In the first true campaign fight, the Nutter and Street camps blame one other for the fact that there won’t be a pre-primary debate.

Nutter spokeswoman Sheila Simmons said both were invited to appear on 1210-AM simultaneously Friday, but Street cited scheduling conflicts. The same thing happened on Tuesday, she said.

“That is so far from the truth, it’s ridiculous,” Street’s namesake son and campaign manager said Saturday. Milton Street has repeatedly, publicly stated he wants to debate Nutter “anytime, anywhere,” but thinks the mayor is scared to do so.

“‘Anytime, anywhere’ must not apply to Tuesday or Friday,” Simmons said, noting that limited time before the primary and a full schedule means a debate isn’t feasible. For his part, 1210-AM morning host Dom Giordano “blame(s) Street” for not agreeing to Friday on the premise that there “wouldn’t be enough time to promote it. … That’s just a ludicrous statement. Nutter gave him ample opportunity to debate.”