Welcome to Philadelphia.

Our Daily News features the "reprehensible" behavior of congressmen - but only the behavior of congressmen from far-away states. And even then, it helps that sex is involved and, of course, that the offender is a Republican.

Did I mention yet that we're a smoke-free city? Yep - just sneaked that one in there. Even though no one in City Hall knows what the regulations actually say, or how to enforce them, or even bothered to notify affected business owners. But, yes, we're smoke-free, except for our coming casinos - it'll be OK to smoke there.

Did I mention that many local politicians may be part-owners of these casinos? No matter, minor detail. We've got elections coming up, some important races. We've got some offices that will be filled before the elections, though. Seems that having a spouse, ex-spouse or parent who was a ward leader or elected official is the only requirement for City Council. That might explain the stellar work they do.

And we're concerned about guns here. Not about the repeat offenders who illegally carry them and murder our citizens - we just like to have non-binding resolutions saying that guns are icky and bad. Never mind that at the time this letter is published, we will have buried more than 300 murder victims this year. If only the state legislators would let us make up our own gun laws, these murders would cease, and all the icky guns would go away. Honest.

Oh, and foie gras - we think it's cruel and icky. OK, cruel and yummy, but we think it inconveniences the geese, so we're going to burn up some daylight with another non-binding resolution to protect geese in France while the children of Philadelphia are gunned down. This abysmal excuse for political "leadership" is garbage and Philadelphia deserves better.

Where is the outrage? Mayor Street and every member of City Council should cut out the photo of little Cashae Rivers and should carry it constantly until there is some realistic progress on the city's problems. And take it out of their wallet each time they consider doing something stupid while being paid to serve the citizens. (Laminate the pictures, they'll likely get a lot of use.)

Taking a junket to "research" an issue vital to your constituents? Look at the smiling face of a poor 5-year-old who died the month she started kindergarten. Signing legislation that hurts small business but exempts your own wealthy friends? Take the picture out again. That a 5-year-old anywhere would have the deck so stacked against her by the lifestyle choices of those around her is reprehensible. That her young life would be ended due to a drug feud is unforgivable.

Where's the outrage? Why aren't the media asking our elected officials what their plan is? We deserve better from our officials, from our courts, and from our press.

Tom McCourt, Philadelphia

Raj Bhakta stood outside the Philadelphia medical examiner’s office on Friday afternoon to deliver a message to Mayor John Street.

"Hire more cops or hire more coroners," he said.

Bhakta, the Republican candidate in the 13th Congressional District, contends that the city is experiencing a crime epidemic. There have been more than 300 murders already this year.

The candidate believes that hiring more police officers will help lower the rate of murder and other crime. He also favors building more prisons to incarcerate career criminals for life.

In Congress, he would try to secure money for police officers and prisons in the budget of the Department of Homeland Security.

"We have terrorism right here in the city of Philadelphia," he said.

Bhakta blasts Street for what he calls his "callous disregard" to the rise in violent crime.

The Republican also slams Schwartz for not denouncing the mayor. He said the Northeast is stuck with a "do-nothing" mayor and congressional representative.

Philadelphia police homicide investigators are seeking the public’s help in solving an Oct. 3 fatal shooting in Oxford Circle.

Officers were called to the 1500 block of Rosalie St. at about 9:20 p.m. and found a wounded man lying in the street, said Officer Raul Malveiro, a police department spokesman.

Michael Thierry, 29, of the 12100 block of Aster Road in Parkwood, was wounded in the head and groin. He was admitted to Frankford Hospital-Torresdale, where he died at 8:34 a.m. on Oct. 5.

According to a police source, a witness reported seeing two white males flee the

Three local men were wounded during a shooting at a Rhawnhurst apartment building last Saturday.

The three victims are brothers, all in their early- to mid-20s, according to Capt. Jack McGinnis of Northeast Detectives. At about 5:30 p.m., the men went to an apartment building on the 7500 block of Algon Ave. to collect a debt for prior contract work, McGinnis said.

As they entered the building, a fourth man followed them inside and pulled a gun on them in an apparent robbery attempt. The suspect shot all three men then fled without their money, investigators believe.

All three men were hospitalized at area hospitals and are expected to recover from their wounds.

The assailant was described as a black male of Latino heritage. The victims believe he is Dominican because of the Spanish dialect that he spoke.

He is age 22 to 24 and 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall. He has a medium build, clean shaven face and short black hair. He wore a white T-shirt and jeans and carried a .40-caliber silver semiautomatic pistol.

He fled in an unknown direction.

Raj on FOX’s The Big Story (with John Gibson)

Raj on MSNBC (with Rita Cosby)

Raj & Elephants on Parade

Well, get yourself an Elephant! No kidding!

Remember Raj Peter Bhakta? One who could not make it to the final round of Apprentice? Now he is running for Congress on a Republican ticket and border security is one of the main issues he is raising. He decided to show the (lax) state of border security in a most interesting manner: by hiring an Elephant and crossing into Mexico while a band plays in the background. It is disputed whether he actually made landfall but as a campaign pitch, it is a remarkable effort...

Elephonkey relates Raj’s demonstration.

The United States has a problem with immigration. I am an immigrant from England who is trying to go through the proper channels to become a citizen and it is a pain... I am watching the news the other day and I see Raj Bhakta, you probably know him from Donald Trump's The Apprentice, chasing down a Mexican illegally crossing into the US right underneath the border control bridge. He follows up this amazing footage with some of himself riding an elephant across the Rio Grande with a Mariachi band playing in the background. No one shows up to challenge him... So maybe I should have used this tactic rather than flying here and foolishly jumping through all of the hoops?

But it was left to an Indian American to make a jumbo size splash. Republican House candidate and former reality TV show contestant Raj Peter Bhakta rode an elephant across the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border to make a point about border security.

Ever wonder how all the illegals can can cross the U.S. border and end up hanging out on the street corners in your community. Republican House candidate Raj Peter Bhakta shows how it can be done and you won't believe your eyes or maybe you will.

Blog Curry cites Raj on the border.

The United States has a problem with immigration. ... I am watching the news the other day and I see Raj Bhakta, you probably know him from Donald Trump's The Apprentice, chasing down a Mexican illegally crossing into the US...

The surprising New Orleans Saints host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in a battle of first-place teams.

The Saints already have surpassed their win total from last season, when they were 3-13 and played on three different home fields. The Eagles are two wins shy of matching their total from 2005, when they finished last in the NFC East.

Raj Peter Bhakta has pulled off a brilliant stunt that highlighted exactly how porous our borders are by swimming an elephant and a band back and forth between America and Mexico. Apparently the elephant didn't make it all the way -- no thanks to border security -- but the band had no problems.