Swann Seeks to Stem Freefall with New Manager

GOP gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann hired a new campaign strategist and manager the other day. Fervently opposed to gambling, Mr. Swann seems to be trying a Hail Mary play before time runs out on his failed effort to win the statehouse. Walter Breakell, whose former company represented gaming operation GTECH, will take over the fledgling Republican's campaign from Harrisburg and word is all bets are on the table concerning this contest. The oddsmakers are continuing to make Swann the long shot bet.

Breakell's slot in the chain of command comes at the expense of Ray Zaborney who seems to have been dealt out of the game. Whatever the new player tries to do however, he's already many lengths behind the leader, Gov. Ed Rendell, who is way ahead in both polls and money.

It's interesting that Swann, a receiver and stern anti-gambling advocate, would top out his staff with someone with ties to a company with ties to Pennsylvania's new slots industry.

Before that, Breakell headed the New York office of DCI Group. The national public affairs firm's clients include GTECH, a leading gambling technology and services company based in Rhode Island.

GTECH is one of the companies licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to manufacture slots machines for Pennsylvania's fledgling casino industry.

Is Swann catching up? Rumors are that his campaign finally turned the corner simply to find they've done nothing for six months but chase their tail. It's too late in the game to play catch up from this far back. All Eddie has to do is raise the stakes by running another slew of ads every time Swann threatens to up the ante. Swann doesn't have the chips to stay in this game.

Any concerns that this could potentially corrupt a Swann Administration are unfounded since the odds of that are so long the bookies aren't taking the bets any longer. My tarot reader says it isn't in the cards for Lynn.