Key ally of Democrats turns to Ridge

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Bill Batoff took political players on both sides of the aisle by surprise. He said he likes the governor and what he has done.

HARRISBURG Bill Batoff, the big time Philadelphia Democratic fund raiser who was co chairman of Mark Singel's 1994 gubernatorial campaign, has joined the camp of the former enemy Republican Gov. Ridge.

Batoff's decision, which he disclosed in an interview yesterday, comes as awful news to Democrats already desperate for cash and a candidate to challenge Ridge's expected reelection bid. It would seem especially bad for Singel, whom some consider the party's best bet for 1998.

"I have made my commitment firm," Batoff said. "I am backing Ridge, financially and politically, and I will do whatever I have to do to help him get reelected."
Both sides saw Batoff's defection as momentous.

"It's huge," boasted Laurie Simmons, executive director of the Ridge campaign. "It's probably the most important new person who's decided to join the campaign team in the last year ... I mean, he's really big. People gasp when they hear it."

"It's almost frightening," said Catherine Baker Knoll, the former state treasurer who ran in the 1994 Democratic primary for governor. "He's very important. If he's backing Ridge, that's very serious. We can overcome it, it's just going to make it a lot more difficult."

Batoff said his decision had nothing to do with Singel or other potential Democratic candidates, but with Ridge. He said he likes Ridge personally and has found himself agreeing with positions the governor has adopted since taking office in January 1995.

He said it did not matter to him who the Democratic candidate for governor might be.

"I know who the candidate isn't," said Batoff, referring to Mayor. Rendell, whom he supports above all others. "I can tell you that Ed Rendell told me point blank he's not running."

A spokeswoman for Singel, the former lieutenant governor who is now chairman of the state Democratic Party, said that Singel was "disappointed that Bill would switch allegiances and wishes to withhold further comment until he has a chance to talk to Bill directly."

But other Democrats agreed that Batoff's decision would hurt the party's chances of winning the governor's office in 1998.

"I think it's significant," said Auditor General Bob Casey Jr., son of Ridge's predecessor and the only current elected Democrat statewide. He called Batoff "a great strategist and a great fund raiser."

State Rep. Michael Veon (D., Beaver Falls), former party vice chairman, called Batoff's move "very troubling for any major Democratic candidate for governor. Hopefully, that is not the beginning of many others to come."

Singel was scheduled to hold a "major news conference" today, but declined to disclose what he planned to say. Singel is considering running for governor or taking on U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.) next year. He said last week that he would announce a decision next month.

If Singel does run for governor, he no doubt will sorely miss Batoff, who not only raised money for Singel but helped manage various phases of his 1994 campaign from buying TV air time to coaching him at debates.

"I helped him start the campaign. I helped structure the apparatus to go out there and raise money," said Batoff, who also introduced Singel to many well heeled Philadelphians who gave generously to his campaign.

Singel lost to Ridge by S percent of the vote in 1994. Some supporters blame his loss on news reports a month before the election that he helped win the parole of a convict who later was convicted of rape and and murder. As lieutenant governor, Singel headed the state parole board at the time and supported the convict's release.

Batoff, who said he had not talked with Singel about his decision, praised Ridge's leadership, a quality he said he first recognized when Ridge successfully fought a legal battle to remove commissioners from the Delaware River Port Authority and replace them with his own appointees.

"Previous governors before that just took the former appointees and lived with them," Batoff said.

He said he liked Ridge's actions to put welfare recipients to work, computerize campaign expense reports, stiffen penalties against criminals, and for having "the guts" to propose privatizing the state liquor system.

" I am moderate and he is a moderate. I think he has the state generally on the right road," Batoff said.

Batoff also said he told Ridge that supporting him does not mean he will back other Republicans.

"My understanding with the governor is very clear. I will support only him. I will not support the Republican House or Senate, not Republicans he wants in office," he said.

Although he generally backs Democrats, Batoff said he has supported some Republicans, including Specter and the late Mayor Frank Rizzo, who left the Democratic fold for the GOP, as well as several GOP Philadelphia City Council candidates.

Batoff, a former Washington lobbyist who is now a consultant with his own firm in Philadelphia and with the government relations firm of Greenberg Traurig in Washington, said he does no work with the state and is not supporting Ridge with the hope of getting government contracts.

"I have asked for nothing in return. I made that very clear to the governor," he said, adding, " I made this decision based on a personal gut feeling and that was it. Nothing more, nothing less."

- Robert Zausner
Inquirer Staff Writer