Ed Rendell: The Oral History

THE MEANING OF ED

• Bob Brady: There’s nothing more he can possibly do in politics. He’s not running for public office — he told me he’s had his last campaign. Maybe he’ll take a cabinet position. I’d love to see that happen.

• Josh Shapiro: I don’t think this region fully understands the impact of Ed Rendell, whether it’s ending a strike or providing an extra bit of funding to make something happen or improving our public schools or environment. I think he’s irreplaceable to this region; he’s a giant here.

• John Street: He was, for many people, larger than life. He strolled in, and the room tended to light up. And he inspired confidence in a lot of important places.

• Thomas Paine Cronin: He has a reputation that is overblown. He’s a corporate Democrat. He’s not like a Hubert Humphrey or Kennedy Democrat. He’s not that at all.

• Neil Stein: What he did for Philadelphia was amazing. Without Ed, this city would never have gotten to where it is today.

• Zack Stalberg: He’s about as close as you can get to the ideal local political leader.

• Paul Levy: He set benchmarks and expectations beyond the reach of the city and constantly asked Philadelphia to stretch beyond itself. That was incredibly important, and I think that’s his biggest legacy here, in a city that undervalues itself. Ed, as a non–Philadelphian, appreciated the extraordinary resources of the city and raised expectations about what the city could be.

• Bob Brady: Looks like he changed since his diet, but he still doesn’t use a fork.