10 October 2008
Philadelphia Fight Gettin’ Filthy
Posted by admin under: politics .
Jeff Shields at the Philadelphia Inquirer says that some of the people supporting the Boy Scouts’ fight to keep their Cradle of Liberty headquarters are getting down in the muck with their tactics. One Republican councilman is fighting back.
Republican City Councilman Jack Kelly is suing a Lawncrest man for a smear campaign that Kelly says nearly cost him last year’s general election.
Kelly has sued Paul D. Corbett and Corbett’s loosely-assembled group, Citizens Opposed to Politicians Who Pander to Perverts, for defamation. Kelly field suit last month in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, asking at least $50,000 in damages.
Kelly, who is paying his own legal fees in the case, argues that fellow Republican Corbett and other members of COPPP “publicly and privately embarrassed and shamed” him by distributing fliers in church parking lots in the weeks before the November election.
The fliers announced that “Councilman Kelly voted with the homosexual lobby to remove the Boy Scouts from their city rent-free headquarters. The Scouts can remain only if they agree with the homosexual agenda which would promote sodomy to our youth.”
Kelly was one of 16 Council members who voted in May 2007 to break the $1-a-year lease with the Cradle of Liberty Council, Philadelphia’s Boy Scouts of America chapter.
…
“If the electorate is informed of the homosexual agenda, they will vote against it,” Corbett said, “and the distribution of the few thousand fliers we put out proved it. Someone had to do it, and I’m proud that I led the effort.”
Kelly and city officials have said that Corbett should have registered COPPP as a political committee if it funded political activities. Kelly referred the case the District Attorney Lynne Abraham, Cerrone said. Corbett said he saw no reason to register COPPP. “This is a moral and religious battle more than a political one,” he said.
Mr. Corbett should heed his own advice. No one is trying to promote bad behavior towards the Boy Scouts. Sure, you can disagree with the city’s decision, but these tactics are just reprehensible. Mr. Corbett is modeling very poor behavior for the very youth he claims to support. I think the suit about making the Councilman feel “shame” doesn’t make much sense. The aspect of it almost costing him an election while making untrue statements seems more valid.
Possibly Related Posts:- Rick Santorum Discusses Philadelphia Council Controversy
- Cradle of Liberty Proceeds With Case
- Boy Scouts of America©
- Bad Vote
- ACLU Loves Religious Groups. Um, What!?
