Posted on AUGUST 25, 2006

Clout: Wins a ride with the mayor, but it's a no-way street

LAST FEBRUARY, Brett Mandel, former deputy city controller and now head of the tax-reform group "Philadelphia Forward," did a good thing.

He bid $400 at a charity auction to raise money for "Operation Understanding," a group that fosters ties between Jews and African-Americans.

Mandel's prize was a 50-mile bike ride with Mayor Street, a strong supporter of the group.

"We wanted to wait until the weather turned better so we scheduled a day in May," Mandel explained. "Then it was rescheduled for June and then for Bastille Day, July 14."

Each time the date drew closer, he said, "I'd get a call with apologies about why he couldn't make it."

A fourth date was set for today. Mandel collected questions for the mayor from readers of Philadelphia Forward's newsletter. His 3-year-old daughter, Ariel, drew pictures for the mayor. Mandel's helmet and bicycle were made ready.

Then came the call from "Operation Understanding."

"They said the mayor was no longer interested," Mandel said. "They said, 'The mayor would like to make you whole with a check for the $400.' I said, 'I don't need any hush money. I bought a bike ride.' Was this too much for him?"

Not at all, says Lori Jones, the mayor's secretary for external affairs.

"There were a number of dates made available when Brett wasn't available," Jones said. "It wasn't just us. The outings scheduled for weekdays were harder for the mayor to keep."

We've seen the mayor riding along the Wissahickon and Kelly Drive enough times to know he could easily handle a 50-mile ride. He may not want to handle Mandel, however.

Besides badgering Street to lower business taxes further, Mandel's newsletter last week blasted corruption in his administration.

"Are we to believe that the feds caught all the bad guys?" Mandel wrote. "Is it worse to believe that corruption in City Hall reaches to the tip of William Penn's hat or to believe that our highest elected officials are so disengaged that their cronies and pals are able to steal public money right under Penn's nose?"

We're guessing the mayor was not pleased, although spokesman Joe Grace said the cancellation had nothing to do with it.

Mandel said the blast had been inspired by the disclosure at the sentencing of jail-bound lawyer Leonard Ross that the mayor still has not paid off a $20,000 loan from Ross.

"I know how Len feels," said Mandel. "[Street] owes me a bike ride. I want to see that on his financial-disclosure form, too."

'Facebook' fiasco

Do campaigns need to do background checks on their interns? Has it come to this?

The acerbic national-politics blogger Wonkette last week embarrassed Bob Casey's gubernatorial campaign by posting a screen capture of an intern's profile on "Facebook," a Web site that features profiles of students.

Photos on the profile showed the [now ex-] intern Myles Aion "looking messy and disoriented and holding a tallboy beer can, with a fair-sized bong prominently placed in the foreground." (Just like our newsroom!)

To make matters worse, Aion described himself on the profile as Casey's "intern director."

" 'Intern director' was a self-appointed title," sniffed campaign spokesman Larry Smar.

Smar said Aion (Temple '09, according to Facebook) was one of many Casey interns "answering phones, stuffing envelopes and things like that," but left the campaign well before the Wonkette item appeared.

Aion's Facebook profile had been wiped clean when we viewed it this week. We reached him by phone, but, alas, he declined comment.

Dems: Waterlogged

OK, this isn't the first leak to come out of Democratic City Committee.

Party worker Lou Farinella was on the second floor of party headquarters, Walnut near Broad, early yesterday morning when it began raining. On his head.

Roofers had peeled off the old roof on Wednesday, but their temporary covering failed in the city's first rainstorm in 30 days.

"I've got a 55-gallon bucket that's full," Farinella said. "Would you like to help empty it?"

Clout is not allowed to carry water for either party, Lou.

The heaviest damage was to the office of party treasurerFrank Oliverand a storage room.

Farinella said the building is closed today for repairs.

Flavia watch

Former Pennsylvania political consultant and Clout-created celebrity and Daily News editorial board member Flavia Colgan spent last night in L.A. playing poker with TV stars.

The game, featuring a $50,000 pot, raised money for Creative Coalition, a nonprofit group that lobbies for arts programs.

Other players: Adrien Grenier, of HBO's "Entourage"; Ellen Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy"; Jack and Kelly Osbourne (Ozzie's kids), and Cheryl Hines from "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Tonight, our gal is having dinner with U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., who's not nearly as much fun as the Osbournes.

Traffic Court: Guilty and gone

OK, you get a speeding ticket and have to go to Traffic Court.

What's the worst that can happen? You plead guilty and pay a fine, right? Or, if you're stupid, you mouth off and spend a couple of hours in a holding cell.

Well, one Traffic Court defendant could end up being thrown out of the country.

"He came before me charged with driving without a license," said Judge Fortunato Perri Sr. "He had an interpreter, who explained that the defendant was here on a work visa."

"For how long?" Perri asked.

"Six months," the interpreter answered.

Perri examined the passport.

"It expired two-and-half-years ago," he said.

And that is how Martins Vinhal Reider wound up being taken into custody and turned over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The INS did not return our call.

Mayor's race: Air war

The forces of labor leader John Dougherty had been enjoying control of the skies over Ventnor and Wildwood until last weekend.

The airplane towing the "Dougherty for Mayor '07" banner suddenly has company.

Our witness says he saw a "Run, Bob Brady, Run" banner flying above the beaches between Cape May and Atlantic City.

Brady, the congressman and Democratic Party chairman, is being encouraged to run for mayor by state Sen. Vince Fumo, ward leader Carol Campbell, businessman
Mitch Rubin and the carpenters union, among others.

Staff writers Gar Joseph and Dave Davies contributed to this report.