Al Taubenberger

Until last night, Al Taubenberger's campaign headquarters was an answering machine at his home in the Burholme-Fox Chase neighborhood. That's a luxury you can afford when you're the sole Republican candidate for mayor: nine weeks to watch five Democratic candidates savage one another and spend millions doing it. Taubenberger's auto-pilot primary ended when the polls closed last night. This morning, with almost $12,000 in campaign cash and the backing of a Republican Party that can claim just 15 percent of the electorate, Taubenberger begins trying to persuade voters that he and his party are, as the GOP Web site says, "the future of our city.

Three and a half. That's how Al Taubenberger rates his chances, on a 1 to 10 scale, of being elected Philadelphia mayor in November. It's a higher rating than what he gave himself before - and certainly higher than anyone else in this city probably would give him. Don't get him wrong. Taubenberger hasn't gone off the deep end. He may be the GOP nominee, but he's fully aware that it has been nearly 60 years since a Republican ruled City Hall. He knows the numbers are stacked against him, what with registered city Democrats outnumbering Republicans nearly 5-1. And Taubenberger surely watched last month as Democrat Michael Nutter did the unthinkable and ran away with the prize in his party's five-way primary.

Philadelphia mayoral candidates Michael Nutter and Al Taubenberger met briefly yesterday for the first of three televised debates before the Nov. 6 election. They covered familiar territory and maintained the genteel tone that has been a hallmark of the campaign. Fielding questions from CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte, Nutter and Taubenberger addressed union contracts, school district management, homelessness, taxes, and the city's littered streets in the half-hour debate. Taubenberger, the Republican nominee, split with his Democratic opponent most clearly on the question of property taxes.

Montgomery County ophthalmologist Melissa Brown forged strong suburban support yesterday to win the hotly contested Republican primary for the 13th Congressional District over Al Taubenberger, head of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Taubenberger had strong support in early city returns, but Brown, who received her party's official blessing in Montgomery County and Philadelphia, declared victory by 11 p.m. at the Cedarbrook Country Club in Whitpain Township.

Next year's Democratic primary for mayor of Philadelphia is already as crowded as an expressway at rush hour, with six candidates raising money and profiles. On the Republican side, the road is wide open. Despite a continuing federal corruption investigation in City Hall that could provide ammunition for a party out of power, no city Republican has stepped forward to run for mayor - though at least three are considering it. GOP leaders are not panicking, but they acknowledge it will be tough to overcome the Democratic Party's big advantage in organization and its 4-to-1 voter-registration edge.

Republican mayoral candidate Al Taubenberger yesterday asked SEPTA to reconsider its plan to eliminate 60-cent transfers. Under the new plan, riders using cash and tokens would have to pay another full fare when using a second SEPTA route in the course of a single trip. Taubenberger, who called the change "unfair," delivered a letter to SEPTA Chairman Pasquale "Pat" Deon asking for the reconsideration. Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Nutter also is against doing away with transfers.

What did 2007 really mean to certain people? Al Taubenberger: The end of one election losing streak and the beginning of another. George W.: Another year of why our troops can't leave Iraq while England has removed 90% of theirs. John Perzel: Another year of his PPA cronies lining their pockets with our children's money. Sam Perzel: Two police arrests, once as a juvenile and once as an adult. Mayor Street: His pension and DROP money make any excuses for delinquent gas and real estate tax bills extremely lame.

Phila.: Get to know the real Al Taubenberger Conventional wisdom dictates that Al Taubenberger doesn't have a chance of being elected mayor of Philadelphia in November. While I do not disagree, I would not count Al out so quickly. I state this from the perspective of a personal and professional relationship that was formed at Northeast High School almost 40 years ago. Al has been hugely successful at everything he has attempted. While he served as head groundskeeper for Friends Hospital, the hospital won consecutive awards as the best-kept hospital grounds in the nation.

AS A REPUBLICAN, the election was very embarrassing. Our nominee, Al Taubenberger, was crushed by Democrat Michael Nutter, who beat Taubenberger so badly (83 percent to 17) that the margin made city history! We didn't just lose. We got clobbered. Mr. Taubenberger's weak campaign was not just a loss for the party. Democracy suffered as well. For our system to work, we need competitive elections with both major points of view presented. And because Mr. Taubenberger ran such an awful race, some people are going to think Republicans can never win a citywide race.

GIVEN HER racially tinged campaign against Congressman Joe Hoeffel two years ago, we frankly didn't expect to be too impressed with Melissa Brown. But we were - enough at least to give her our strong recommendation in the Republican primary. Of the three candidates - Brown, state Rep. Ellen Bard and Al Taubenberger - Brown has shown the intelligence and drive needed to thrive in the U.S. Congress and to well-represent the 13th Congressional District. We don't agree with every position Brown has taken.

COULD A SMALL GROUP of Republicans put an end to the party's civil war in Philadelphia? Even if that group - the city's five elected Republicans - can't get along with each other? We may soon find out. David Oh , one of two incoming GOP City Council at-large members, suggests the five GOP elected officials form a selection committee for a new leader of the Republican City Committee. "It would be a merit-based process," Oh said this week. "It would be open and fair. " That would replace chairman Vito Canuso , who is no longer recognized in that role by the state party and is the object of ire for a group of GOP insurgents seeking to take control locally.

THERE WILL BE no repeat of the nightmare for attorney David Oh, who was ahead in the voting on election night four years ago but lost a seat on City Council after absentee ballots were tallied. Oh yesterday officially bested Al Taubenberger in last week's general election for one of two Republican Council at-large seats, after absentee, military and provisional ballots were counted. In the final tally, Oh led by 166 votes. A count yesterday of 755 provisional ballots, used on Election Day when there are questions about a voter's registration, did not put Taubenberger ahead.

After more than eight years of trying and two of the most closely contested elections in Philadelphia history, Republican David Oh has won a seat on City Council. When he takes the job in January, Oh will become the first Asian American to serve on Council. "I think it's a point of pride for Asian Americans in Philadelphia," Oh said Tuesday. "At the end of the day, we're all Philadelphians, and it's important that we all come together to improve our city. " Oh declared victory for an at-large Republican spot on Philadelphia's 17-member legislative body over Al Taubenberger, who bounced back from a weak showing in the May primary to lose to Oh by just 171 votes.

BY THE END of today, either David Oh or Al Taubenberger should have a new title: city councilman. The neck-and-neck race between the two Republicans for a Council-at-large seat was too close to call at the end of Election Day last Tuesday. A hand count yesterday of about 2,000 absentee, overseas and military ballots left Oh with a lead of 168 votes. Oh's lead stood at 165 votes earlier in the day when members of the City Commissioners Office began counting the absentee ballots.

After more than eight years of trying and two of the most closely contested elections in Philadelphia history, Republican David Oh on Tuesday won a seat on City Council. When he takes the job in January, Oh will become the first Asian-American to serve on Council. "I think it's a point of pride for Asian-Americans in Philadelphia," Oh said. "At the end of the day, we're all Philadelphians, and it's important that we all come together to improve our city. " Oh declared victory for an at-large Republican spot on Philadelphia's 17-member legislative body over Al Taubenberger, who bounced back from a weak showing in the May primary to lose to Oh by just 171 votes.

David Oh seemed poised to clinch victory after a preliminary count of about 2,000 absentee ballots Monday in the race for the second at-large seat on Philadelphia's City Council. Oh's lead grew by three votes, to 168, after a Board of Elections official and lawyers for both sides tallied results from about 2,000 absentee ballots. Oh's rival for the seat, Al Taubenberger, said he wanted every vote counted. Monday's count is unofficial, and Board of Elections employees still must count 757 provisional ballots, which are generally used for voters whose names do not appear in log books at their polling places.

David Oh seemed poised to clinch victory after a preliminary count of about 2,000 absentee ballots Monday in the race for the second at-large seat on Philadephia's City Council. Oh's lead grew by three votes to 168 after a Board of Elections official and lawyers for both sides tallied results from about 2,000 absentee ballots. Oh's rival for the seat, Al Taubenberger, said he wants every vote counted. Monday's count is unofficial, and Board of Elections employees still must count 757 provisional ballots, which are generally used for voters whose names do not appear in log books at their polling places.

HERE'S WHAT will make news in Philadelphia this week: DEVELOPMENT Chinatown high-rise The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. will seek the City Planning Commission's approval tomorrow of a new $69 million, 23-story residential-office building, currently known as the Chinatown Eastern Tower Community Center. The building is planned for Vine Street near 10th. "It's going to be bold and exciting," said John Chin, executive director of PCDC. The building is expected to be completed by mid-2012.

CITY Commission employees began sorting through ballots yesterday in the too-close-to-call election for a Republican City Council at-large seat. A final tally in the race between attorney David Oh and Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce chief Al Taubenberger won't come until at least next week. Oh held a 176-vote lead with 97.27 percent of the polling place ballots counted yesterday. Attention now turns to absentee, military, alternative and provisional ballots, along with 73 voting-machine cartridges that were not returned by the time the commission met yesterday morning.

Two-hundredths of a percentage point. That is all that separates candidates Al Taubenberger and David Oh in their faceoff for City Council's second Republican at-large seat. City election officials begin their final count in the race Wednesday, so the result will not be known until next week at the earliest. As of Wednesday night, with 97.3 percent of votes counted, Oh was leading with 38,141 cast in his favor, and Taubenberger had 37,965. At least 1,757 absentee and military ballots remain to be counted, along with several hundred of other types of ballots, mostly cast by registered voters whose names were not in the books at their polling places.