"That's . . . the Chicago Way!"

The Inquirer today takes the always-comforting step of endorsing a dead guy on its editorial page. As part of its rundown of City Council races, the paper recommends that voters in Philadelphia's 7th Council District vote for the recently deceased Republican Nestor E. Gonzales over thuggish Democratic incumbent Rick Mariano. By opting for Gonzales, the Inky says, voters "would be honoring Gonzales' long career of community involvement. More pragmatically, if a majority did so, that would force a special election for the seat, in which a new opponent could give voters an alternative to the incumbent."

Dead people can win elections, of course. Mel Carnahan, who perished in a plane crash, won a U.S. Senate seat from Missouri, which his wife then filled. Of course, if voters in the Show Me state had chosen to retain the incumbent instead of dumping him in favor of a ghost, we might not be enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under Attorney General Ashcroft. . . .