John Baer: In court, it's the same old Ed, but a different Vince

TO THE outside world they're much alike: smart, fast-talking Philly pols who've been around, it seems, forever.

Ed Rendell and Vince Fumo have been dominant forces in the city, region and state for close to a generation.

Rendell, the district attorney, mayor and governor; Fumo, the 30-year powerhouse state senator. Together they've been kings and kingmakers - Fast Eddie and The Vince.

In fact, when Rendell testified at Fumo's federal corruption trial yesterday, he described The Vince as "very similar in many ways to myself."

He meant, or at least I took him to mean, that they both are consumed by politics and work, both live and breathe the business they chose.

Or did, in Fumo's case.

But they also are different, and, boy, did they look it yesterday.

Rendell, subpoenaed by the Fumo defense team to talk about how hard Vince worked, looked robust and relaxed.

He played to the jury - he loves a crowd of any size - answering questions about how long he's known Fumo (since Ed was an assistant D.A., in 1974), how they worked together on city/state issues and how Fumo was always available, home or away.

"Away" would be Martha's Vineyard or the Jersey Shore or Fumo's Florida home, living that lavish lifestyle that the government says was funded in part with tons of stolen tax dollars.

Nothing about Fumo looked lavish yesterday. He appeared drawn and gray, somber, even depressed. His face twitched, seemingly from nerves or tension.

This was not the Fumo of old, the Vince of laughter, the Vince of gusto, the Vince of trademark, often profanity-laced, bravado.

Eddie seemed like Eddie. This was a different Vince.

Fumo testified after Rendell left, and at one point his attorney, Dennis Cogan, said, "You're going to have to keep your voice up a little bit."

It was hard to look at Fumo and not think about the state of his (lately) fragile health.

Just like it was hard to watch Rendell's 15-minute appearance and connect it somehow to this long trial, the 139 counts of alleged criminality, of spying on ex-lovers, abusing museum yachts, defrauding the state and trying to cover it up.

Instead, there were light moments with Rendell on the stand.

Cogan noted that he was Rendell's intern when Rendell was D.A.

When the prosecution objected to a line of questions approaching a Rendell love-in, Judge Ronald Buckwalter suggested that all agree that Rendell did "an admirable job" as mayor.

This brought chuckles from the Guv and some in the smallish but SRO courtroom.

Rendell also drew laughs when Cogan asked if it caused "some tension" in the Ed/Vince relationship when Fumo backed Bob Casey Jr. in the 2002 gubernatorial primary.

"I would say so," said the Guv, and even he laughed.

Same with a Cogan question about whether Fumo occasionally called Rendell to "twist your arm" on political appointments.

"Twist my arm might be mild, actually," said Ed.

But if Rendell lightened the mood or gave Fumo any props with the jury, you know, just by association, U.S. Attorney John Pease quickly reset the stage.

He basically asked Rendell whether those who work hard are exempted from the rule of law that applies to one and all.

No, said Rendell, "the rules are the rules."

And Ed is Ed. And Vince is Vince.*