We must tip our hats to KDKA-TV political reporter Jon Delano for his lengthy, uncut interview of former Congresswoman Melissa Hart, which is available here.

It is rare that we see a politician in such a protracted state of denial.

I won't ask you to watch the entire event, anymore than I'd ask you to sit through an entire viewing of "Ishtar," but watching it for even ten minutes is illustrative of why Ms. Hart is no longer the Representative from PA4.

Early on, she refuses to even call Jason Altmire by name, referring to him simple as the "current Member." One has to wonder what she is afraid of...and why she can't muster enough respect to call Mr. Altmire by his name. Or not.

Ms. Hart makes a big deal out of how the prior election campaign devolved into "sound bites" and "schlocky TV commercials." She insists that she wasn't able to "get her message out." Now, I'll be the first to admit that political TV ads generally aren't bastians of restraint and truthfulness, but everyone, including Ms. Hart, knows that.

So this begs the question; how, as the incumbent, did you fail to let voters know what the heck you were doing that was so laudable? Don't we still give you franking priviliges, so you can send free mail to all your constituents? And, as the incumbent, weren't you able to hand out pork to hungry district businesses? And, as an incumbent, weren't you well-enough funded so that you could do some ads that really highlighted your many accomplishments?

Funny thing is, Melissa does tout one of her many accomplishments, citing the "I-376 Corridor." If there ever was a less-important resume bullet point, I haven't heard it...and yet, she must be obsessed with it, since it did make it into her commercials during the last cycle. This issue gets down to this; "Hey, yinz guys, we're gonna change the signs on the Parkway West." In an era of rampant GPS use, it's not worth the sign-painters time....

What is perhaps most telling in the interview is Ms. Hart's response to Delano's question about health care, which is, by many accounts, the #2 issue to American's after Iraq.

Hart, given ample opportunity to avoid "sound bites" and express an informed and reasoned position on the issue, immediately obfuscates and dances like her loafers are on fire. It's telling. It's why she lost last time...and will again next year.

'Cause she can't level with voters in a district where that is, without a doubt, job #1.

Piltdown Man