Training Wheels

Jonathan Goldstein had an exciting time last week in Election Court when he argued on behalf of independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader. With Democrats challenging Nader's nominating petitions, Goldstein defended the validity of the would-be candidate's signatures. He later described his time in court as "the greatest experience in my life."

What makes the episode remarkable is that Goldstein is but a third-year law student at the University of Pennsylvania who hasn't even taken the bar exam yet.

Goldstein entered the fray because Nader has had a hard time getting lawyers here to represent him. Last month, attorney Sam Stretton quit suddenly because he wasn't paid by the Nader campaign, which isn't a worry for Goldstein because he can't receive any compensation until he's been admitted to the bar.

He can represent Nader because the Pennsylvania Bar rules of admission state that a law student who meets the proper requirements, which include certification from the school dean, can be admitted in court in extreme circumstances. These certainly qualify as extreme circumstances for Nader since he is running out of both time and money. Democrats want him off the ballot because they think his presence will only hurt Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. Republicans want him on for the same reason.

Goldstein is a Republican but says that's not why he's fighting for Nader.

"I am focusing on making independent candidates' cases adjudicated," says Goldstein, who ran unsuccessfully as a Libertarian candidate against state Rep. Babette Josephs in 1996.

Goldstein was clear that he also appeared in court for the litigating experience, which will look good on his resume. He lives in a legal household; his wife Julia is an attorney at Dechert.

Nader needs 25,697 valid signatures to appear on the ballot. One of the sticking points in court is the definition of a valid signature for Nader. Out of Nader's 50,000 signatures, Greg Harvey says he challenged more than 35,000.

Fortunately for Goldstein, Harvey, opposing lead counsel that day, did not object to the law student's court appearance.

Trolling for Controller

Former Common Pleas Court Judge John Braxton threw a splashy fundraiser last Monday night at Aden in Northern Liberties. Braxton, a Democrat, plans to run for City Controller next year and the hundreds of people who showed up to pay $150 a pop fueled his enthusiasm.

Braxton is betting that current City Controller Jonathan Saidel, widely considered to be unbeatable, will not seek re-election next year because he will be positioning himself for a run for mayor in 2007. He says he feels confident that Saidel will leave office based on what he's been hearing and reading in various news reports.

"I think we will have an open primary," he says.

Braxton, a judge for 15 years in both civil and criminal court, resigned to make an unsuccessful run against U.S. Rep. Tom Foglietta in 1996. (Foglietta resigned in 1998 and Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady is now the congressman for that district.)

"A controller has to understand contracts and finances," says Braxton, who sits on the Audit Committee of the Board of Governors for the National Chapter of the Red Cross in D.C.

He says his past experience as a white-collar crime prosecutor, a judge, a bank chairman, a vice president of an outsourcing company and a civil court mediator—in addition to his work in a securities company—all add to his qualifications.

Despite some high-profile types on his host committee list, including Robert Archie, Ducky Birts, Arline Jolles Lotman, Mark Momjian and lesbian activist Rita Addessa, Braxton says he was pleased to see that his Northern Liberties neighbors also came out to support him.

So, what does Saidel say about all this?

"I will make an announcement some time in January," said the controller. "Several of the candidates have asked me if it's all right if they have fundraisers. So I say sure, since they can't beat me."

Darling Arlen

Gay-rights groups have started making their endorsements and it's no surprise that Log Cabin Republicans endorsed Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter over his Democratic rival Joe Hoeffel. The group, however, is refusing to support President George W. Bush due to his support for a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Liberty City Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club will go with Hoeffel. (Specter is not opposed to same-sex marriage and has been supportive of gay rights, despite his Republican allegiance to Bush.)

That leaves the Pride of Philadelphia Election Committee (POPEC) and Outfront. Both are nonpartisan. POPEC president Mark Segal says that POPEC is undecided and still in discussion mode.

"We have endorsed both Hoeffel (for Congress) and Specter in the past," says Segal.

The POPEC endorsement is important because many gay voters follow it and POPEC gives money to candidates.

Outfront Executive Director Doug Shaps could not be reached by press time.