City Hall Always Did Have a Problem with Bugs: [Sorry for the absence - a lot of court, a lot of meetings - enjoyed reading your postings nonetheless] So, the Philly police discover a listening device up in the recessed ceiling of Mayor Street's office.

When it was first found, there was immediate and rampant suspicion that it belonged to Sam Katz, Street's Republican opponent in the upcoming mayoral election - which promises to be the tightest race in recent memory and Katz only lost to Street last time by something like 13,000 votes. Their campaigns have been unusually hectic and even violent at times, and this was considered some more "dirty pool". Then, lo and behold, the Feds peer up from their normal deep cover and quickly say that the bug has nothing to do with Katz. They then sink back down.

So, then Street and his buddy Rendell start freaking out that if the Feds don't clear this up post haste, everyone is going to think Street is a crook (right, NOW they'll start thinking that). So, the Feds pop back up and cryptically say that Street's not a "target", but the administration is under investigation for corruption, then back down the Feds sink. But they have been rushing to collect evidence before it can disappear now that the jig is up. As the Inquirer article mentions, "target" is only used when you're about to be arrested; it doesn't mean he's not being listened to or that he'll never be indicted.

This is wonderful free entertainment, I'll tell you. The real issues relate to Street's wide-ranging patronage, that exceeds even this City's limits. John's brother gets a $1MM airport consulting deal, even though his bro, Milton, has no experience in the area. There's talk of parking tickets getting squashed, and even Islamic imans getting sweetheart deals - not exactly a popular notion right now.

Street is feeling the heat, and the word on the "street" is that enough moderate (Read: white) democrats are going to shift to Katz to get this City out of the economic doldrums. Of course if Rendell were back, we'd have his wide butt in the Mayor's seat so fast you'd think he never left. Basically, what you saw in California, you're going to see here on a smaller scale.

"Philly: the city that loves you back."