"CURE was a seat-of-the-pants political party created by ordinary people fed up with the Democratic machine's stranglehold. "We didn't have political experience and we didn't have anyone else to run for mayor," Liddle said. "It wasn't naivete on our part. Bob was our only choice. Nobody else wanted to run."

"The CURE platform was built around an eight-point "Bill of Rights for Albanians" that challenged decades-long oligarchic rule of political boss Dan O'Connell and Mayor Corning. They blamed the city's stagnation on the 11-term "mayor for life." The reformers targeted inadequate public services, deteriorated city facilities, hostility toward business entrepreneurs, rampant cronyism, no-bid city contracts and retaliation against political dissidents."