The two candidates don't even differ significantly on the war in Iraq. Casey says he would have voted for the war, although based on false evidence. Both Casey and Santorum oppose a deadline for withdrawal.

There is one area where the two men diverge -- welfare reform -- which is the current topic of the television ads now running in Pennsylvania. Santorum helped make it happen; Casey opposed it.

To be honest, the ads are a little cringe-making. If Hollywood loves what Spike Lee calls the ``Magic Negro'' -- those spiritual characters who keep popping up to show white folks ``the way'' -- politicians can't help resist demonstrating their virtue with African-Americans helped by ``the man.'' No offense intended toward the women who appear in the ads.

The Santorum ad didn't come from his campaign, but was produced by a 527 group named ``Softer Voices,'' a conservative women's consortium trying to highlight the senator's record of helping women. The ad features a former welfare mother, Bylly Jo Morton, whom Santorum employed and helped attend college. Today, she's a teacher boasting three college degrees.

Not to be outdone, Casey worked a little magic himself and managed to produce a former fifth-grade student from his days as a teacher. Now a grown woman, Arkecia Morris fondly recalls how Casey encouraged her to read in a loud voice because he wanted the world to hear her. And the world did hear her. And I suppose the world was glad.

The latest Pennsylvania poll, conducted Sept. 22-24 by Strategic Vision Political, shows Casey leading Santorum 50 percent to 40 percent, with 10 percent undecided. It's not clear what voters will gain by electing Casey given that the two candidates are seemingly indistinguishable, but there's no guessing what they'll lose in Santorum.

Love him or hate him, for the past decade, Santorum has been the conservatives' point man for the world's disenfranchised -- the poor, the sick and the meek. If he loses, the face of compassionate conservatism will be gone.