DNC Chairman Howard Dean thinks that unseating Senator Rick Santorum should be the top priority of Democrats in 2006. He'll speak tonight in Philadelphia, and I imagine that this quote is a preview of what he'll likely say:

"Sen. Santorum is clearly way out of step with Pennsylvanians," Dean said yesterday, previewing his appearance in a conference call with reporters. Dean cited, among other things, Santorum's staunch support of President Bush's proposal to allow younger workers to divert some of their Social Security taxes into private accounts.

Obviously, Dean won't mention abortion, which has become something of a taboo since Bob Casey, Jr. is pro-life. The other candidate in the race (what other candidate, you say?), Chuck Pennacchio, is also featured in the Inky this morning:

The Democratic establishment bypassed the Philadelphia professor earlier this month to line up behind state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr. Pennacchio has never run for statewide office. And he has pledged to reject money from special interests in favor of small individual donations.

All of that could have buried Pennacchio from the start just a few years ago, but not necessarily these days when Web logs, or blogs, can lift an obscure candidate into the realm of contender.

Pennacchio and his small, Web-savvy staff have been leaving footprints across dozens of blogs during the last month, hoping their Internet presence - combined with traditional campaigning - builds a loyal grassroots following to rival Casey's stranglehold on the establishment.

I'm almost insulted; we've had no Pennacchio "footprints" here.