Kelli Roberts New Media Director

Dan Onorato's Hometown Newspaper Weighs In On His Questionable Campaign Tactics

Today Dan Onorato's own hometown newspaper, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, called into question his campaign tactics.

The race for governor: Onorato's ploy

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Dan Onorato must think Pennsylvania voters were born last night. Why else would his failing gubernatorial campaign deny culpability in a political stunt as old as the hills?

Mr. Onorato, the Allegheny County chief executive, is the Democrats' nominee for governor in the Nov. 2 election. He faces Republican nominee Tom Corbett, the state's attorney general. Onorato is trailing badly in the polls.

But surprise, surprise, there's now a third-party candidate on the fall ballot. John Krupa of Clinton County, a member of the Constitution Party who's aligned with the tea party movement. His candidacy could siphon votes from Mr. Corbett.

And a review of Mr. Krupa's nominating petitions, filed last week, shows that it's members of labor unions that have endorsed Onorato -- and even one of Onorato's campaign workers -- behind the petitions.

Smell a political rat? Or should we say an OnoRATo?

It's a laugh a minute to hear the union operatives stumble all over themselves when confronted. But it's a major knee-slapper to hear Onorato spokesman Brian Herman attempt to rationalize the nexus.

Dan Onorato would do anything to be elected governor of Pennsylvania. That means he'd do anything as governor. And that's the kind of governor this commonwealth cannot afford.