Fresh from unjustifiably flaying Franco Harris, so beloved a figure that his statue is next to George Washington's at the Pittsburgh airport, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl received an unjustified honor in Boston on Monday.

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, presented him with the 2011 New Frontier Award for elective public service by a young person. Only one word can describe this choice: Ridiculous.

Ms. Kennedy said the Fenn Award recognizes qualities her father embodied and admired -- civic-mindedness, pragmatism, vision, tenacity. Mr. Ravenstahl, she said, helped lead the transformation of Pittsburgh's economy to create a sustainable future.

No, he hasn't. Whatever good has happened to Pittsburgh has come despite Mr. Ravenstahl, not because of him. True, he is a young mayor and a Democrat, so maybe "close enough for government work" applied here. Still, it shames the memory of a great president that an award in his honor should be spoiled by shoddy research.

Let's review some of the particulars -- all known to Pittsburghers -- that refute the mayor's assumed virtues.

Civic-mindedness? He has a reputation for fulfilling his duties casually. He manages to attend the fun events -- the U.S. Open at Oakmont, the press conference for the Batman movie -- but for some of the everyday stuff he is AWOL. Even the county executive-elect, a Democrat no less, said so.

Pragmatism? He wasn't so pragmatic when he went to Seven Springs to celebrate his birthday in 2010 while a blizzard was on its way and Snowmageddon paralyzed the city.

Vision? Yes, but it seems limited to his election campaign two years hence.

Tenacity? If it means stubbornness in sticking to bad decisions, we'll give him that.

Helping to lead a transformation of the economy? That's news to us. His is a government in fiscal distress and under the oversight of two state agencies. The city's biggest challenge recently was the pension funding crisis, which the mayor ultimately left city council to work out, then sat on his hands as the parking authority refused to release funds as part of the solution.

Pittsburghers who hear of this award and are not rendered insensible by shock will recall the famous riposte that Sen. Lloyd Bentsen made to Sen. Dan Quayle in the 1988 vice presidential debate: "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

Well, we remember Jack Kennedy and Mayor Ravenstahl is no Jack Kennedy, this award notwithstanding.