City Hall - up for grabs: Well, today it all comes to a head. Katz v. Street. The Embezzler vs. The Nepotist. One side promoting a lower tax structure, more business, more development and more jobs, the other, safer streets, better infrastructure, better-funded schools, and more police to fight drugs. Moderate Republican vs. Died In The Wool Democrat.

The polls don't paint a pretty picture for Katz. Amazingly, this guy only lost by 9,000 votes four years ago. The bugging scandal in City Hall has actually worked in Street's favor. If you go back about a month-and-a-half, Katz had a six point lead. That means a swing of roughly 26-27% in that time. You can only attribute that to a) voters simply changing their mind as the election drew nearer (meaning they were toying with Katz, but then figured they better stay on party lines), or b) the federal investigation energized Street's base as cries of "conspiracy" filled the air. I can tell you, it's more likely the latter, as I've heard enough people spout that rhetoric, egged on by Street's buddies, Gore and Clinton.

I usually vote Democrat, but am not tied to the party. Even my much more liberal wife said that this would be the one time she'd vote against the Dems (fortunately for them, we moved out of the city). Katz's message really got lost in this investigation scandal, which is too bad. As good a job as Street has done in cleaning up Philly, both literally (i.e. abandoned lots, broken-down cars) and metaphorically (violent crime and drugs), his own house is in great disorder (pick one), and he has no economic vision (other than spend, spend, spend). I'm afraid it's going to be four more years.