Those Zany Democrats

[REBDOG]

"Jihad Callaway, brother of Craig Callaway, pulled a knife on Elijah "
Well, that explains it.

[REBDOG]

"Jihad Callaway, brother of Craig Callaway, pulled a knife on Elijah "
Well, that explains it.

[Cuda]

June 11, 2002

Knife fight breaks out after meeting of A.C. Dems

By JEREMY OLSHAN Staff Writer

ATLANTIC CITY - They say two democracies have never taken up arms against each other. The same cannot be said of two Democrats. At least not in this town.

The city Democratic committee's reorganization meeting ended in a knife fight Monday.

Jihad Callaway, brother of Craig Callaway, pulled a knife on Elijah Steele, a supporter of Mayor Lorenzo Langford, in front of Local 54's headquarters, witnesses said. Steele reportedly responded with his own blade.

While no one was seriously injured, Steele reportedly filed charges against Jihad Callaway, who according to his brother Craig, may file countercharges. Neither is a member of the committee. Police officials could not be reached for comment.

The melee rose out of a power struggle between Langford and Callaway's supporters for control of the committee. The meeting was adjourned before it started however, because the county clerk has not yet certified the results of last Tuesday's primary, which dramatically will change the 52-member committee's composition.

This meeting is required under state statute, because the terms of the previous committee ended last Saturday.

"But we can't vote on anything until the results are certified," Vice Chairman Joseph Hicks said. "We still don't know who's who or what's what."

Hicks adjourned the meeting.

Tonight, however, the county committee is scheduled to hold its reorganization meeting. Assuming the Atlantic City election is certified today, the newly elected members will be able to attend, Hicks said.

Based on the unofficial results, while Callaway's faction gained many seats, including one for himself, he admits that Langford's contingent still will maintain a slim majority.

Callaway's slate defeated several of Langford's candidates with write-in candidates, including Leslie Coursey, wife of Ernest, the mayor's top aide.

One of Langford's key political operatives during last year's campaign, Callaway has since parted ways with the mayor, claiming that he did not follow through on promised jobs and influence in the new administration.

Instead, Callaway ran for City Council in the 3rd Ward against the mayor's candidate, Stephenine Dixon, who he defeated by two votes - although Dixon plans to contest the results in court.

"The sad thing is we really need to get this committee together," committee spokesman Thomas Forkin said. "But Craig Callaway is the Mike Tyson of Atlantic City politics. Eventually the same thing that happened to Tyson will happen to Callaway."

Callaway has called Langford's supporters a "bunch of hypocrites," for trying to get his absentee ballots thrown out, when last year they defended the right of the people to vote by absentee ballot.

Based on Monday night's events, Local 54 member Michael Conley said he wasn't sure the union would allow the committee to continue to hold its meetings there.

Union President Robert McDevitt disagreed.

"We'll let them have their meetings," he said. "But we'll have to install a metal detector like they have at the high school."