Around the politicians (Monday)

• A substantial Inquirer article takes a look at the career arc of Philadelphia City Councilman Frank DiCicco, characterizing him as a former outcast who's become an important player (and frequent swing vote) since improving his relationship with Mayor Street. The highschool popularity analogies here made me grit my teeth.
  
  
• Another piece looks at the city's former mayor Wilson Goode, Sr., who claims to have found his place in life in his involvement with an organization that mentors the children of inmates. He's now a nominee for an award for older Americans who have reinvented themselves in public service. Perhaps a sense of redemption for a man surely haunted by his involvement with the MOVE bombings 20 years ago... Actually, the whole nominee list is inspiring.
  
  
• John Baer looks at the first volley in Sen. Santorum's TV ad campaign, and opines that immigration is an odd issue for a non-border state race and that the particular content of this ad is odder still. The Daily News opinion page goes even further, wondering how Santorum reconciles his hard line on immigration with the welcoming teachings of his own faith.
  
  
• Tom Ferrick notes that the mocking reception of Sen. Santorum's recent WMD claims (see here) has done nothing to damp Curt Weldon's enthusiasm for the issue; in fact, he was trying to get credit himself for finding them first. (Santorum isn't backing down either; I find this parody amusing.)
  
  
• Above Average Jane sure wanted to attend a fundraiser for governor Rendell featuring an appearance by Hillary Clinton, but was unwilling to promise further work on his behalf in order to get a ticket. (For that matter, she implies that requiring such a promise is either unfair or soliciting empty commitments.)
  
  
• Over in New Jersey, the US Senate race continues heated, with a feisty television debate between Menendez (D) and Kean (R) over the weekend. Each accused the other of unethical behavior, which I'm sure got NJ voters very excited to turn out. Speculations abound about the effects of Bush's popularity on this race.
  
  
• A collection of short bits in the Inquirer reports a poll in the Philadelphia mayoral race that finds Rep. Fattah edging ahead, a stalled park clean-up program advocated by Councilman Rizzo, and a little further mocking of Councilman Kelly over his MySpace page.