NOW Will Pennsylvania Allow a Real Democratic Primary?

Even before the Democratic primary, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and the DLC crowd crowned pro-life Democrat Bob Casey the presumptive Dem nominee to challenge Rick Santorum for Senate in November. That, even though a Zogby poll shows that once voters learn the candidates' positions, pro-choice Democratic history professor Chuck Pennacchio both is better-liked by the state's Dem voters, and stands a better chance of unseating Santorum. The party won't even agree to hold debates: Casey's their guy, screw the voters, screw the pro-life plank. After all, the party's power brokers have done such a darn good job of electing Democrats to Congress for the past fifteen years... (cough).

So now another pro-choice candidate arises, considering a run as an independent. Which makes me ask: will Casey's pro-life stance, his support for Alito, and his other conservative positions finally get media attention? Will someone finally notice that there are other Democratic candidates who hold more progressive views? Might a run by a pro-choice Independent stir the pot enough that Pennsylvania's Democratic voters finally get a debate or, God willing, an actual, honest primary?

It's not that Casey's such a terrible guy. He's pretty far down on my list, but if he gets the nod, I'll prefer him to Santorum. The real issue is transparency: you'd think the Democratic Party would understand, um, democracy. On that issue, they need to be schooled. It may take some time, but we're here to school them.