The Republican mayoral candidate and the former Democratic mayoral candidate started their day at a busy transit stop in Olney, just down the street from La Salle University's campus, where Clinton and Street took the stage later in the day.

In the early-morning chill, Katz and White shook hands with the throngs of commuters near the busy intersection of Broad Street and Olney Avenue as buses and subways rumbled by. Some people stopped to talk. Others, looking weary, hurried past.

Katz brushed off the suggestion that Clinton's visit might overshadow anything he did yesterday.

"People have known for 30 days that Bill Clinton was coming, and it hasn't made a dent in the polls," Katz said.

And even as the nation's leading Democrat was boarding Air Force One en route for Philadelphia, Katz suggested that party affiliation was not a key factor for voters to consider.

"I think the electorate understands I'm a Philadelphian," Katz said. "And that's what this is about. It's not about partisan politics."

The Olney transit center was the first of several campaign stops yesterday for Katz, who also spoke to a group of senior citizens at an event that was closed to the media and joined Street on television for a question-and-answer session.

Katz ended his campaign day with another appearance with White - this time at a Center City Irish pub decorated with "Democrats for Katz" posters.

White, as he stepped into the pub, questioned the effort of his party to unite voters behind Street.

"They want Democrats united. I think it's a good strategy, but I don't think it's going to be enough going forward," White said. "I think that the voters of Philadelphia know what they want in a mayor and they know what they would like by way of a vision for this city, and I believe that Sam Katz best represents that."

White said he was at Katz's disposal "24 hours a day" and would campaign with the candidate throughout the weekend if asked to do so.

Meanwhile, Street kept up his effort to build grassroots momentum throughout the day - beginning with his own early-morning transit stop appearance with his "Polaroid posse" of photographers who gave commuters instant pictures of themselves with the candidate.

After the Clinton appearance, Street jumped back onto the campaign trail for a series of neighborhood canvasses with City Council members, a kaffeeklatsch, and several "Street Party" rallies, scheduled to end at midnight.

The two candidates met up on television in the middle of the afternoon for an appearance on a news show's "meet-the-candidates" feature.

They answered questions about schools and gun control, and discussed Clinton's visit.

"He's been very good to our city. He's helped us with the problems of crime, with the police, he's just really been a great [president] for urban America, and I'm delighted to have his support," Street said.

Katz, again, dismissed the possible impact of a national celebrity on the mayor's race.

"When President Clinton came in this morning, there were 40,000 abandoned vehicles on the streets of Philadelphia, and when he left, they were still there," Katz said. "Those are the problems that Philadelphians want their mayor to deal with."