'Pro-choice' stand put Council in a hard place

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown didn't make any new friends among her colleagues when she forced them to take a stand on abortion rights two weeks ago as she offered a purely symbolic resolution declaring Philadelphia a "pro-choice city."

It was a classic lose-lose situation for Council members such as Frank DiCicco and James Kenney, who count on the support both of political progressives and the city's large Catholic population.

DiCicco seemed particularly split. He paused for several seconds when his name was called for a vote on the resolution before finally saying "aye." He was just as uncertain a week later, when Councilman Frank Rizzo called on Council members to rescind the resolution.

"He's got 11 votes," DiCicco said to an aide as Rizzo's bill was about to come up for a vote. "I may sign it."

DiCicco ultimately did switch sides (as did Kenney and three other Council members), and the repeal of the pro-choice proclamation won easily.

"Thanks, Frank," Rizzo said to DiCicco. "You going to switch to Republican?"

DiCicco didn't laugh.

Verna has what it takes

That kind of money can earn a presidential nominee a lot of friends when it comes time for Council to select its president, which it will do in January. Verna can easily afford to reward allies with donations.

Most of the money was raised in years past, but Verna spent almost nothing in the final weeks of the May primary election campaign. Nonetheless, she trounced her energetic young challenger (Damon Roberts), winning more than 78 percent of the vote.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell is seen as Verna's most prominent challenger for the presidency, but mayoral candidate Tom Knox's defeat dealt her candidacy a serious blow. Blackwell had allied herself with Knox in exchange for his support of her candidacy for Council president.