Graboyes, who raked in cash at a fundraiser last week in Old City, has the support of state Sen. Vincent Fumo. Her supporters said she decided to enter the race when O'Brien said he wasn't interested. O'Brien, who was endorsed by all but two of the ward leaders in the district, admitted he was not initially inclined to run, but says he changed his mind when he saw the lackluster credentials of the other candidates.

"At the end of the day, I had to get in," he said. "The climate in Harrisburg is so volatile and, although Terry and Anne are nice people, I am the one who can get things done."

O'Brien recently retained media consultant Elliott Curson to run his campaign. Curson developed the slogan for O'Brien's campaign handouts: "Mike O'Brien. The experience and the moxie to make things happen." He plans to run commercials this week.

O'Brien, who is pro-choice, wants dedicated public funding for education. His profile increased when he worked with Lederer, Fumo and City Councilman Frank DiCicco in closing nuisance bars and GoInternet, the telemarketing firm that scammed small businesses into buying unnecessary Internet services and employed disruptive employees that were disrespectful to the neighborhood [Cover, "GoneInternet.Net," Daryl Gale, Jan. 29, 2004]. It was politically difficult to shutter GoInternet because former Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel was a consultant and operative for the owner.

"I said, I could care less about Mark Singel being the former lieutenant governor," recalls O'Brien, "something has to be done about this."

O'Brien's Monday night fundraiser at Konak was cancelled due to the holidays, but he said checks were still collected and he did well. Konak, a Turkish restaurant in Old City, was once the bar/restaurant Cecelia's, named after the wife of Local 98 business manager and 2007 mayoral candidate John Dougherty. Dougherty and the union are supporting O'Brien.

During its run, Cecelia's became a bone of contention for Old City neighbors, who complained about loud noise and unsavory behavior from patrons in the wee hours.

"When [Old City Civic Association member and Konak-fundraiser organizer] Dick Tucker heard John Dougherty was supporting me, we had a scream-fest on Vine Street," said O'Brien, "and I said later, let's sit down and have breakfast and talk about this."

Hundreds of Local 98 union stalwarts are expected to mass on the street for O'Brien come Election Day.

The 175th covers Bella Vista, Chinatown, Fishtown, Harrowgate, Kensington, Northern Liberties, Old City, Pennsport, Port Richmond, Queen Village, Society Hill and Washington Square.

Russ Diamond, the independent candidate for Pennsylvania governor, may have to spend some money defending himself in a lawsuit.

The board of directors of PA Clean Sweep, the grassroots organization Diamond founded which is dedicated to good government and ousting politicians that voted themselves a pay raise, intends to file suit demanding he return the organization's assets.

Diamond, who chaired the group until his resignation last month, was trying to reorganize it before he announced his candidacy for governor. When half of the 10-member board refused his demand that they resign, Diamond changed all their computer passwords, according to a PA Clean Sweep press release, which the group claims violates the bylaws of the organization.

Diamond made his big announcement last week in a puff piece in The New York Times. His campaign office did not respond by press time.

Saint of 9/11, a new documentary, will be a big feature of next month's Equality Forum, formerly PrideFest America.

Franciscan priest Father Mychal Judge, the chaplain for the New York City Fire Department, was the first recorded death at the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Although asked by then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to accompany the mayor during his disaster-management duties, Judge chose to be with firefighters at the scene.

The film, which will open at the Tribeca Film Festival next week, is directed by PBS award-winning director Glenn Holsten. Executive producer is Malcolm Lazin, also the Equality Forum executive director. English actor and famous wizard Ian McKellen narrates.

Lazin said the documentary is culled from raw footage of the gay priest's life and works.

For more information, see www.saintof9-11.com and www.equalityforum.com.