Clout: Jailtime governs anarchists' behavior

YOU'D THINK that the anarchists would be better organized.

But, no, they ran amok in St. Paul Monday night, smashing windows at Macy's, trying to rip credentials from the necks of Connecticut delegates, mixing with antiwar protesters and members of the news media and provoking the cops into pepper-spraying and arresting the whole lot - 284 people - innocent and guilty alike.

Last night we sent Clout special correspondent Andrew Reich out to see if the anarchists were better behaved.

Apparently, most of them were still in jail. The protesters Reich found were all well-behaved.

"I overheard a cop saying on his cell phone, 'It's very quiet, we're all bored,' " Reich reported.

Cops and Homeland Security personnel seemed to outnumber the protesters. Plus, more streets were closed off than on Monday.

James Donnelly, a gray-haired scruffy, middle-aged guy from Asbury Park, N.J., carried a sign that said, "Right-wing propaganda."

"I'm protesting right-wing propaganda, Fox News and Rush Limbaugh," Donnelly told

Reich.

He was with a group called ReGroupThink and gave a Web address. It's a site that sells "magic dunce caps" for $14.95. The idea is to send them anonymously to your right-wing friends.

Whatever happened to just calling someone an idiot?

Reich also spoke with Ben Masel, of River Falls, Wisc., a member of "Swift Students for Truthiness."

When Clout was in college, we had SDS and Tom Hayden. Students now have SST and Stephen Colbert, which is much more fun.

Masel's group is concerned about government spying and, specifically, the government's ability to track citizens through their cell phones.

Clout thinks such worries are silly. We live in America and would never elect a president who would do such things.

Attendance: Slow start

Clout special correspondent Elizabeth Elfman was struck by the contrast between the crowds at the Democratic convention in Denver last week and at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul last night.

"The convention hall is nearly empty," Elfman said. "I could literally find a seat on the floor."

Last week, Elfman had to stand or sit on steps at the packed Pepsi Center.

Our guess is that attendance will improve sharply tonight when vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin speaks.

Culture wars: GOP fires back

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum showed a movie preview at the Pennsylvania-delegation breakfast yesterday.

The preview was for "An American Carol," a film set to open nationally Oct. 3 spoofing Michael Moore and the Democratic left. It's directed by David Zucker ("Naked Gun," "Airplane," and like that) with Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen, Dennis Hopper and James Woods.

Daily News convention bureau chief John Baer told us that actor Kevin Farley "is a credible Moore look-alike."

Baer's review? "Hysterical. The Moore character apparently is visited by spirits looking to change his views. The spirits tend to slap him a lot. At one point Fox's Bill O'Reilly slaps him and the Moore character says, 'Hey, you're not a spirit,' and O'Reilly says, 'No, I just like slapping you.' "

Santorum provided a DVD of clips to all delegates and said that it's important to "engage the culture to change public opinion."

The film, he said, is "a direct assault" on Moore and the left. Others told Baer that Santorum helped raise money for the project.

Morgan and Ed: Together again

Middle-aged but still-gorgeous TV and movie actress Morgan Fairchild dined with longtime friend Gov. Rendell at Del Frisco's in Denver last Thursday with a small group of pals and pols.

The politically active Fairchild has campaigned with Rendell, and earlier this year joined him in an effort to get more women involved in Pennsylvania politics.

Speaking of Del Frisco's, the steak house chain is opening a branch in Philly in late November in the former PNB bank on Chestnut Street near 15th. *

Staff writers Gar Joseph and John Baer contributed to this report.