Clout: For McCain, any port in a storm is here

AS HIS nominating convention was buffeted by storms - Hurricane Gustav and revelations that running mate Gov.

Sarah Palin

's unmarried teen daughter is pregnant - U.S. Sen.

John McCain

rode them out in Philadelphia yesterday.

His schedule was private. But at least one of his Philly meetings was with Cardinal Justin Rigali.

McCain met with Rigali at the Cardinal's residence at 4 p.m. for about 25 minutes, his campaign confirmed. McCain arrived back about 5 p.m. at the Westin Philadelphia hotel, on 17th Street near Chestnut, where he spent the night.

It was also likely that he met with local fundraisers.

McCain went to dinner at the upscale Devon Seafood Grill, on Rittenhouse Square, last night, a source said.

The campaign was mum on his schedule today as well, except to say that he'd be making a stop this morning, probably in Northeast Philadelphia.

The convention's theme yesterday was "service," but the hurricane prompted the Republicans to scale events way back out of respect for those beseiged by Gustav on the Gulf Coast.

We expect today's event - which the media will be invited to report - to fit with the "service" theme. On Sunday he visited a disaster relief agency in Ohio.

When McCain landed in Philadelphia at 12:25 p.m. yesterday, reporters and photographers were limited to the back of a flatbed tow truck 75 yards away from his white, yellow and blue 737.

As he stepped onto the mobile staircase, McCain stood for a second in the bright sunlight and gave one quick wave to the reporters, and then strode to a police-escorted copper-colored Chevrolet Suburban.

Knocked up: Not a problem

While the news media fussed over Palin's crisis, convention delegates in St. Paul echoed the sentiments of McCain's highest profile supporters: It's a family thing and nobody's business.

Jeanne Noll, a delegate from Fleetwood, Pa., told Clout special correspondent Andrew Reich, "Being a mother, it does not affect my opinion at all. You do the best you can with your children but it doesn't always mean they're going to listen. . . . I don't think it reflects poorly."

William Henry, a delegate from Potter County, Pa., said, "I wasn't familiar with Gov. Palin to begin with. I know that happens in our day and age, even with the best families. I don't know that it affects my opinion at all."

Kathleen Burke, delegate from College Station, Tex., told Clout's Elizabeth Elfman, "I don't think it's anyone's damn business."

Scranton: Biden time

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden visited his boyhood home in Scranton yesterday. Here's the pool report from the New York Times' John Broder:

Around 2 p.m. Mr. Biden walked up the steps of the home he lived in until he was about 11 years old. His mother, Jean Finnegan Biden, was sitting on a chair waiting for him as he walked up. . . . Inside, he was greeted by the current owner of the home, Anne Kearns.

Biden reminisced about life in the house, pointing out where the men gathered after Mass to discuss politics and sports, where the women sat around the dining-room table, which was covered with a lace tablecloth, to drink tea and talk about their kids . . . .

Kearns then mentioned that when they moved into the house they found the words "Joe Biden was here" written on the wall of the third-floor bedroom that had been occupied by Biden's great aunt.

She mentioned that she had painted over it, but would be honored if he'd go up there and re-sign his name. He grabbed a Sharpie and headed up the narrow stairs.

"God, this brings back memories," he said. He wrote, "I am Home. Joe Biden. 9.1.08."

And then said, "If my father were here, he'd smack me."

Mrs. Kearns said, "We won't paint over it this time."

Philly cops in St. Paul

Anarchists beware: You try to make trouble at the GOP convention and you'll have Philly cops on your butts.

The Philadelphia police department had arranged for 29 volunteers to supplement local cops for the big meeting.

Police spokesman Frank Vanore said last week that the squad would be led by Inspector Myron Patterson, from the city's homeland security division.

They'll be paid their regular Philadelphia salaries while on duty in Minnesota, but the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul will reimburse Philadelphia for their salaries and all expenses, Vanore said.

Vanore insisted that the export won't "affect our manpower whatsoever . . . I think they're coming from places that aren't assigned to street duty."

The Philadelphia department got similar help from various State Police units in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware when the city hosted the Republican National Convention in 2000, Vanore said.

The police contingent in St. Paul will outnumber Philadelphia's Republican delegates by about two-to-one. City GOP chairman Vito Canuso said that the city is represented by seven delegates and seven alternates.

Photo fix

On Thursday we ran a photo of "Girlfriends for Obama," but were given a wrong name for the woman on the far left. She is Olivia Riley. Olivia, let everyone know that was really you. *

Staff writers Gar Joseph, Julie Shaw, Kitty Caparella and Bob Warner contributed to this report.