Harry Hurley Late Breaking News

"Hurley in the Morning"

Monday, March 30, 2009

7:00 a.m.

EXCLUSIVE

First Reported Here

ATLANTIC COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN PAT DARCY SET TO AWARD ATLANTIC CITY ENDORSEMENT AND COLUMN A BALLOT PLACEMENT TO MARTY SMALL

This will surely land the same preferred ballot placement to all of Small's running mates for Council at Large, including prohibitive favorite for re-election, Councilman George Tibbitt.

This endorsement is one of the more messy situations in recent Atlantic City political situations.

A sitting Mayor, who was not defeated at the Atlantic City Democratic Convention is being denied the line?

The cleanest way to have resolved this would have been to place all the Atlantic City candidates off of the line.

Especially considering the fact that both the Atlantic City Democratic Chairman and the State Democratic Party Chairman did not break the tie between Mayor Lorenzo Langford and 2nd Ward Councilman Marty Small.

In an unintended way, this act by Darcy will give both Langford and Small what they want. Langford can easily demonstrate that he was denied by a political system that doesn't like it that he won't play by their rules. To clarify, I mean this statement in the political sense, not the literal sense. Langford did play by all party rules ... He just won't play the way the system wants him to once he's in office. He has never played their games in terms of appointments, job hiring, professional contracts, etc.

Small will have gained the Column A status, something that a challenger needs to build credibility and to be perceived as electable.

Developing ... But, please keep in mind, that this whole things is so goofy, that it could change once again ... However, as it stands now ... Darcy will award Small the endorsement and Column A ballot placement.