When The Democrat Is Barely A Democrat

The tag-line to Dan Onorato's campaign ads -- "Onorato: The Democrat for Governor" -- would be less grating were it not so difficult to conclude that the Allegheny County Executive is a Democrat. Anti-abortion. Anti-gun control. Pro-imprisonment for doobies. Annoyed by gays and feminists. Ardent advocate of regressive taxation. The Democrat? When Dan and Tom Corbett debate, the only disagreements will involve which highway contractors are to get the Turnpike gig and which (to-be-formed) IT companies should receive no-bid computer contracts.

The Montgomery Tim Burns-Mark Critz ads, however, make Dan look like a Kucinich clone. Burns' first statement, in his first ad, in his first campaign, is that people should vote for him because he 'believes in God above' -- which suggests reason is no match for superstition in Burns' mind. That has prompted Critz -- the Democrat in the race -- to retort that he is pro-life, pro-gun, anti-healthcare reform and 'no liberal.' For years, it appeared that Pennsylvania's population drain was costing the state its young and educated citizens. Now, if campaign ads are any reflection of the reality just a half-hour drive from Pittsburgh, emigration has entirely consumed the educated and is eating into the educable.

The Luke photo? Just hadn't run it lately.