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Inqlings | Not buying Rendell's Lane story

The Alycia Lane saga is now playing out in Harrisburg. House Republican leader Sam Smith yesterday pooh-poohed Democratic Gov. Rendell's statement that the CBS3 anchor had called him after her arrest just to give her side of the story.

Kerri-Lee Halkett of Fox29: Focus- ing on other things now.
Kerri-Lee Halkett of Fox29: Focus- ing on other things now.Read more

The

Alycia Lane

saga is now playing out in Harrisburg.

House Republican leader Sam Smith yesterday pooh-poohed Democratic Gov. Rendell's statement that the CBS3 anchor had called him after her arrest just to give her side of the story.

Rendell on Tuesday announced on WIP-AM (610) that Lane, whom he considers a friend, "didn't ask me for anything. . . . She was very, very adamant in her belief that she hadn't done anything wrong here, and she just wanted me to hear it." Lane was arrested in New York early Sunday and accused of slugging a plainclothes cop and calling her an epithet. Lane pleaded not guilty, and her lawyer denies the charges and allegations.

Responding to a reporter's question yesterday, Smith described Rendell's comments as "a whitewash."

"What could she have been calling the governor for?" said the ranking Republican from Jefferson County. "You know, he said, 'Just because she wanted somebody to listen to her.' Well, if you believe that, I got a bridge for you. . . . I can't imagine that she called him for any other reason than to help her out."

Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo yesterday countered: "Whatever her motive, the fact remains that she didn't ask the governor to take any action and he would not have done so had she asked. I assume from Mr. Smith's comments that he would have reacted differently."

Ardo said Lane didn't simply punch up Rendell's number. She called "numerous people" to try to get Rendell's cell number, Ardo said, and reached Rendell at his office during working hours.

Lane and beau Chris Booker have been keeping a low profile of late.

More on the Rendell watch

His Edness was the sole male among nine women (including wife Judge

Marjorie O. Rendell

) at what appeared to be a staff dinner Monday at Varalli restaurant. Rendell told his server that when he waited tables in college, he made $2 in tips but got enough leftovers to spare him from grocery shopping.

Rendell will cohost the second hour of Sunday's Eagles pregame show on WYSP (94.1) from noon to 1 p.m. with Vinnie the Crumb and Kevin Reilly. The show will air from Chickie's & Pete's on Roosevelt Boulevard. (A WYSP rep says the gov will not be paid for the work.) Afterward, he'll head to Comcast SportsNet for his usual cohosting duties on Eagles Post Game Live. On Wednesday, he and his wife are bound for the Caribbean.

In other anchor news

Fox29's

Kerri-Lee Halkett

and NBC10 reporter

Jamison Uhler

have confirmed their recent uncoupling. They started dating in January and broke it off last month. (No drama. Friends explain that they work too much.) Uhler, 32, declined comment, and Halkett, 36, from a Caribbean cruise, said that they remain close and still spend lots of time together, but that she is focusing on other things in her life right now. "Relationships take a lot of time, and we don't want to ruin chances of anything in the future by not properly spending the time needed to make a go of this one right now," she said.

The circuit

You mighta thought it was Florida and not Montana:

Miley Cyrus

, staying at the Ritz-Carlton while in town for her recent show, was spotted with her mother and driver at Center City's Cafe Loftus - and she wore only sweat pants and a tank top in the wintry cold. She also got her hair done at the Ritz's spa.

Tonight's finale of NBC's Clash of the Choirs - in which the Philly-bred, Patti LaBelle-led singing squad is in the hunt - has been expanded to two hours, from 8 to 10.

A quarrel of sportswriters - that's what you call the collective, right? - will gather at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Barnes & Noble Oxford Valley (210 Commerce Blvd., Fairless Hills) to sign and sell: Jayson Stark (The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History); Sal Paolantonio and Reuben Frank (The Paolantonio Report: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players, Teams, Coaches and Moments in NFL History); Ray Didinger (One Last Read: The Collected Works of the World's Slowest Sportswriter and The Eagles Encyclopedia); Glen Macnow and Big Daddy Graham (The Great Book of Philadelphia Sports Lists); and Gordie Jones (Tales From the Philadelphia 76ers, 1982-83 NBA Champions).