Category: default || By jt3y

I'm at a loss to understand the whole Catherine Baker Knoll kerfuffle. In brief, she attended the funeral Mass for a Marine, Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, who was killed in Iraq. Goodrich had previously worked as a police officer at Kennywood, in Indiana Borough, and in Our Fair City. The family complained, loudly, to the local media that she was uninvited and that she gave an aunt one of her business cards, which gave the appearance that she was campaigning. (Knoll has since apologized.)

I'm no Catherine Baker Knoll fan. In fact, from talking over the years with people who have worked for her and with her, I'd say my impressions of her aren't totally favorable, and I think Rendell could have found a stronger lieutenant governor --- particularly since the last two lieutenant governors (Mark Singel and Mark Schweiker) both ended up serving as governor at times.

Still, this whole thing smelled of a political smear job, and the media lapped it right up. First, since when does someone need an invitation to go to a funeral? Second, how else does one introduce one's self in professional life other than handing out a calling card?

Third, and most importantly, as a friend pointed out to me yesterday in a conversation, someone from state government darned well ought to be attending these funerals as a sign of respect. Who better than Knoll, who's the lieutenant governor and is from Western Pennsylvania?

Like I said, the whole thing smelled funny, and a story in Tuesday's Post-Gazette hints that the relative who made the loudest complaints might have had an ulterior motive. (It turns out she's politically active in the Republican Party in Indiana County.)

Knoll did two things which were tacky, and deserved scorn. The first was telling at least one person that she was against the war in Iraq. Nice job: Tell the family of a dead Marine that his service to his country was in vain. That'll earn you some points. The second was giving interviews to TV crews outside the church; the event was supposed to be about Sgt. Goodrich, not her. She should have politely declined to go on camera.

For those two things, she should have been chastised, but her mere presence at the funeral was not offensive in and of itself. And if anything, the people who turned this into a media spectacle about Catherine Baker Knoll's conduct --- thus diverting attention away from Sgt. Goodrich's life and work --- were equally as tasteless as Knoll's comments.

Can we thus get off of the bash-Cathy Knoll bandwagon, and refocus ourselves on paying tribute to Sgt. Goodrich for making the ultimate sacrifice for his country?