What's the appeal of being Lt. Gov.?

Margaret Gibbons of the Doylestown Intelligencer is wondering why so many politicians from Bucks and Montgomery counties want to be lieutenant governor Pennsylvania.

From her latest column:

Speaking of politics, what is this fascination that Bucks and Montco commissioners have with the lieutenant governor's job?

Former Bucks Commissioner Mark Schweiker ran and was elected lieutenant governor. Now Bucks Commissioner Jim Cawley last week announced that he is forming an exploratory committee for a possible bid for that job. Across the border, Montco Commissioner Chairman James R. Matthews ran as the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor and lost. Still, that has not prevented him from toying with the idea of again seeking his party's nomination for the job. Fellow GOP Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. also has expressed mild interest in the nomination.

Across the aisle, there was Joseph M. Hoeffel's brief two-day campaign in 2006 for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor that blew up when Gov. Ed Rendell withdrew his blessing on that candidacy.

What does this all say about the county's top elected officials aim at second best, apparently preferring an obscure do-nothing job on the state level than their county position?

At least this time around, Hoeffel is going for the top post on the state ballot.

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.