N.Y., Philadelphia presidential forums in works

Plans are in train this week to hold two Irish-American presidential forums in the next couple of months. One of them is being planned for New York, the other for Philadelphia. Planners behind the New York event are looking at a date just before the state’s March 2 primary.
“Yes, we’re working on a forum. I have been in touch with Joe Crowley and Peter King,” former New York State Assemblyman John Dearie said.
Dearie, a Democrat, organized the first forum aimed at seeking out the response of presidential candidates to Irish-American concern, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland. That event was staged in 1984 and was attended by former Vice President Walter Mondale.
In recent years, the forum has been organized on a bipartisan basis by Dearie, Rep. Crowley who is also a Democrat, and GOP representative King.
Four years ago the forum, held in Manhattan, was attended by Vice President Al Gore. The leading Republican candidates that year, George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain, did not make the event.
Somewhat ironically, Bush’s absence was in part due to his attendance at a St. Patrick’s Day parade in upstate New York on the day of the forum.
Dearie said he was hopeful that this year’s forum would attract more than one speaker and the event would certainly be open to candidates from both parties.
“At this stage we’re going to have to move with some dispatch,” Dearie said with regard to organizing the forum.
He said that President Bush and all the Democratic candidates would be invited.
If the president could not make the forum, it was possible that he could be represented by someone else, Dearie indicated.
“Maybe Gov. Pataki could speak for him,” Dearie said.
Dearie said that the emergence in recent years of active Irish-American groups supporting the president’s party had changed the dynamic behind the forum.
“We’ve never had a Republican candidate, or top-level representative of a candidate, but this is a whole new game,” he said.
New York’s primary is on “Super Tuesday” and is one of 10 state contests for the Democratic candidate field on that day.
If the race for the Democratic nomination is not locked up by the weekend before Super Tuesday, Dearie said he believed the Irish American forum would be an event of significant interest to the candidates.
The Philadelphia forum, meanwhile, is the idea of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
AOH National President Ned McGinley, who lives in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., said he hopes the event could be staged sometime in March, and certainly before the Pennsylvania primary on April 27.
“The candidates might like the opportunity as Philadelphia has a big Irish community,” McGinley said.
A forum in Philly would also be open to President Bush, or Vice President Dick Cheney as well as all the Democratic hopefuls, McGinley indicated.
Pennsylvania is viewed by both parties as a key swing state in the context of the November presidential election and this is only likely to heighten interest in a Keystone State forum.