John Street has kept cool for most of the grueling mayoral race, but his temperature rose a few degrees yesterday during a discussion about City Council at the Rethinking Philadelphia breakfast forum.

Katz, responding to a question by moderator and Daily News Editor Zack Stalberg, suggested that Street didn't have good relations with the people he served with on City Council and that he had stifled some of their ideas. Here's how it went:

 STREET: (laughs) Sam, you

wouldn't know what happened in City Council in the last eight years, 'cause I only ever saw you standing in the back once in eight years. You have never testified in City Council, maybe in eight years other than on briefly as a candidate.

 KATZ: John, I'm talking about your relationships with City Council.

 STREET: I understand that.

You don't know what's going on in City Council and do not ever think somehow, you are going to sit here and pretend like you are an expert on City Council and I don't know anything about City Council.

 STALBERG: Sam if you're

elected. . .

 STREET: Now, I will not stand

that.

 STALBERG: John, please. Sam, Sam, Sam if you're elected...

 STREET: (over Stalberg). I

know the City Council. Zack, I know City Council and I know the members, and I know how to work with City Council, and I was talking about the importance of the relationship of the mayor with City Council at a time when folks weren't paying any attention to it. And I take great pride in what City Council has done working with Ed Rendell in the last eight years, and I will not allow anybody to demean it.

Dave Davies