Burning questions arrive with each day's mail as Election Day draws near in Westmoreland County. Glossy postcards, mass-mailed from Harrisburg, ask in stark black headlines:

Does Democratic State Senator Allen Kukovich party in gay bars in Philadelphia with Gov. Ed Rendell? Did Kukovich really shift millions of local Steelers fans' tax dollars to build a stadium for the Philadelphia Eagles?

Mud is flying thick and fast in Westmoreland County, calling up local bugaboos like faraway financiers, disloyalty, Philadelphians, homosexuals and taxes.

Democrats ask similar stark questions:

Is Bob Regola, Kukovich's Republican challenger and a Hempfield supervisor, really trying to take away health benefits from former employees, including a 90-year-old widow? Is his campaign financed by shadowy operatives from Dauphin County? Does he practice civil engineering without a license? Is he really, deep in his heart, still a Democrat?

Even seasoned campaign vets like Kukovich aide Teresa Candori say, "It's getting pretty ugly out there this time."

And yesterday, an old lion stepped out to "reclaim his good name."

"My name is John Regoli. That's Regoli with an 'i,' not an 'a'," said the retired state senator and 10-year county commissioner. "I don't recall ever meeting Bob Regola. He isn't my son or nephew or cousin. He's not related to me. I am a Democrat. I am [a] Kukovich supporter. Don't let anyone confuse you," he said.

"That's silly," Regola said. "We're not related. We've never used his name in any of our materials, or even insinuated a connection. I believe Mr. Regoli's from New Kensington, which isn't even in my district. I can't believe anyone would say something like that.

No one should be dismayed at the flood of negative campaign literature, the old campaigner said. "It gets this way from time to time. There's some added intrigue here this year because Regola was a Democrat. He used to campaign with Governor Rendell, but now he's suddenly become a family-values Republican."

Regola's conversion was a coup for state Republicans, he said, "a state committee with more money than it knows what to do with.

"[Kukovich] is a real target. And since Bush and Santorum and Fisher did well in Westmoreland last time, they figured this was a good place to dump some money."

All family ties and values aside, recent polls show Kukovich in the lead by a 2-1 margin.

Regola supporters say Regoli's name is a "non-issue." Regola said he never campaigned for Rendell or Kukovich, but only attended the same party functions. Old photos showing him wearing a Kukovich button give a false impression.

"Someone put that button on me," he said. "I wouldn't have pinned it on myself."