It's time for all you Stalinists to stuff the ballot box, just like you learned in the good old days.

The tragic news out of Moscow this week is that Josef Stalin, who had one of the best mustaches of any 20th century dictator, has fallen behind Czar Nicholas II in voting for the greatest Russian in history. The government-owned Rossiya television network is sponsoring the contest, which like Stalin's reign itself, is rather controversial.

Stalin was well ahead in the poll until recently, regardless of the fact that his purges killed millions of his countrymen. An anti-Stalin backlash then emerged, among Russian historians and others who believe the modern-day Kremlin has sugarcoated Stalin's reign for nationalistic purposes.

"How many people did he take away?" Soviet labor camp veteran Sergey Kovalyov mused to the Wall Street Journal, leaving little uncertainty as to what dictator won't be getting his vote.

So now it's the pogrom-loving czar No. 1, the mass purgerer No. 2, and heck, even Ivan the Terrible placing 12th -- what, no votes for Olga Korbut? -- despite lingering effects of a terrible marketing director. A final winner is to be chosen in December.

Nominate your Greatest Pittsburgher

Somehow, in all the hullabaloo this year over Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary, we've seen no reference to any contest to choose the greatest Pittsburgher ever.

Who would it be? Fred Rogers? David Lawrence? Art Rooney? Andrew Carnegie? Jonas Salk?

Or would the voting go in the Russian manner, where a few warts aren't held against someone with prodigious talent and impact? You know, like Barry Bonds and Mark Madden.

In any case, let's air our opinions. Send your "Greatest Pittsburgher" nomination with an explanation (no Stefan Lorant-length dissertations, please) to page2@post-gazette.com, or by regular mail to Portfolio, Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh PA 15222.

Ronnie overdue for Mount Rushmore?

Back in 2005, the Discovery Channel organized voting for the Greatest American ever.

Ronald Reagan, who died the previous year, led among the nearly 3 million votes cast. He was followed by Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. But would President George W. Bush, who finished sixth that year, attain such a lofty position if the voting were held this year? (Same with Bill Clinton, who was right behind him in seventh.) We think not.

Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey was ninth on that list, maybe with voting rigged by people who had received cars from her. Lance Armstrong was 20th, before a doping controversy made him a more Bondsian figure.

England's BBC was the first organization to conduct such "American Idol" style voting for historical figures, with Winston Churchill winning its "Great Britons" contest. For some reason, the Portuguese came closer to Stalinist nostalgia. Their votes went foremost to former strongman Antonio de Oliveria Salazar, whose 36-year rule was boosted by use of secret police and torture of political rivals.

Those New Yorkers are fickle voters

The not-really-esteemed New York Post ran an on-line poll in 1999 asking voters to pick the most evil person of the second millennium. Not just the century, mind you, but the whole swath of 1,000 years.

No. 1 was pretty obvious, Adolf Hitler, but No. 2 might be considered an upset. The Post's voters sleeper pick there, one they even had to write in, was none other than President Bill Clinton, with Mr. Stalin trailing behind in third.

Mr. Clinton could take heart that he was part of the No. 1 husband-and-wife team in the voting. Finishing in sixth place, also a write-in, and right behind Pol Pot and Dr. Josef Mengele (always important to use that Dr. for him as a courtesy title), was Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Somehow, we suspect those results say more about the New York Post than about the Clintons.