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Byline: Dick Polman
PHILADELPHIA _ When the news broke that the FBI had bugged Philadelphia Mayor John Street's office as part of a federal corruption probe, many observers thought his fate had been sealed, and that city voters would surely oust him Nov. 4.
But history demonstrates that beleaguered U.S. mayors do quite well at the polls, that a federal probe is akin to a badge of honor, and that a mayor can even get points for spending time in the slammer.
Tribal loyalties _ ethnic, racial, political _ have often outweighed any qualms about ethics. And in the words of Darrell West, a political analyst based in Providence, R.I.: "Voters are very cynical these days. They already think that most politicians are a little crooked, especially at the city level, so when somebody is `under investigation,' why should that be a disqualifier?"
Street hasn't been charged with any criminal wrongdoing; nor have aides or close associates. But criminal charges would not necessarily deter voters. Consider:
In Providence, Vincent "Buddy" Cianci won back the mayoralty in 1990 after ...
Source: HighBeam Research, Corruption charges don't necessarily deter voters.(Knight Ridder...