Over on the home page, a look at the Democratic candidate who seeks to win the seat in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district: former Jack Murtha aide Mark Critz. He brings to the race a close connection to the most malodorous deals of his old boss, but without the Bronze Star and Purple Hearts that made his boss comparably likable.
Someone compared this race to one in West Virginia last cycle, where longtime Robert Byrd aide Anne Barth took on Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. While Byrd is a legend in the state, his appeal didn’t transfer to his former employee; Capito won 57 percent to 43 percent, the same percentage as in 2006 and 2004.