by Pittsburgh Tribune Review

The Dems have gone and booked Philadelphia siblings Sister Sledge as part of the committee's presidential inauguration festivities in Washington next week. The group will perform at the Yes We Did! celebration on Jan. 19 at the Washington Plaza Hotel.

"Get out your platform shoes and your white suits with black shirts," advised Mary Isenhour, the group's executive director, in an e-mail hawking tickets to the event.

Uh, no thanks, Mary.

Sister Sledge probably is best known for the single "We Are Family," which became the anthem for the then-major league 1979 world champion Pittsburgh Pirates . Since then, Sister Sledge, like the Bucs, haven't garnered nearly enough hits to keep them on the national radar.

If state Dems are willing to book such an act, we shudder to think where this might lead if a DJ is playing after Sister Sledge. Gov. Ed Rendell getting down to the Village People's "YMCA," perhaps?

We certainly hope not.

SENATATUS INTERRUPTUS. The arrow on the meter measuring the likelihood of whether MSNBC talking head Chris Matthews will make a U.S. Senate run in Pennsylvania is now stuck on "not."

Matthews, for months mentioned as a possible Democrat challenger to Republican Arlen Specter next year, is sticking to broadcasting. The New York Times reported that Matthews informed his staff Wednesday that he wasn't going anywhere.

The Times report came two days after Matthews' brother, Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews, told PolitickerPA his sibling would remain on the sidelines.

"There's no hint of him running for office," Jim Matthews said. "That's 1,000 percent true."

We'd say ol' Chris definitely is out. We suspect, however, that there will be no shortage of viable candidates who will attempt to unseat Specter.

BEACH BOY? Steelers fans and all denizens of good taste have another good reason to root for the home team in the Black and Gold's showdown today with the San Diego Chargers.

If the 'Bolts somehow best the Steelers (we know, an inconceivable possibility), the world will be treated to the sight of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in swimming trunks.

In a bet with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Ravenstahl has agreed to be photographed near the three rivers adorned in Chargers' swimwear and carrying a surfboard if the Chargers win.

If the Steelers prevail (we know, an inevitability), Sanders has agreed to be photographed in Steelers garb and holding a pair of skis at the Sea World Penguin Encounter in San Diego.

We know you're doing it already, but pray for a Steelers victory, folks.

DISPIRIT OF THE SEASON. Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto has received some flak over a holiday greeting card he recently sent to folks.

Peduto used campaign committee funds to pay for the card, which used the Confederate Soldier's Prayer supposedly found on a Confederate casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

Seems some people took exception to the use of a prayer and the mention of God, which seems like secular nitpicking to us. The card was nicely done and the prayer fit the mood of the season.

UNDERREPRESENTED WHERE IT COUNTS. When it comes to getting influential state House committee chairmanships, southwestern Pennsylvania representatives fare poorly compared to their eastern counterparts.

Representatives from Philadelphia and its neighboring counties snagged 15 of the 26 chairmanships announced last week by new House Speaker Keith McCall, D-Carbon.

Pols from southwest Pennsylvania, the state's second-most-populated area, snagged a measly six. In case you're interested, the half-dozen Democrats are:

? Joe Preston of East Liberty, Consumer Affairs Committee

? Pete Daley of Washington, Commerce and Economic Development

? Dave Levdansky of Forward, Finance Committee

? Tony DeLuca of Penn Hills, Insurance Committee

? Joe Markosek of Monroeville, Transportation Committee

? Frank Dermody of Oakmont, Urban Affairs Committee

POETIC JUSTICE. Last year, state Rep. Joe Petrarca of Vandergrift was accused of accidentally running over the foot of a state trooper who had pulled him over on his way to Harrisburg.

Last week, when Petrarca was hobbling on crutches after foot surgery during the swearing-in ceremonies for new lawmakers, his fellow legislators had some fun at his expense.

"Get run over by a state trooper?" joked one colleague.

"Did you get the name of the trooper who ran over your foot?" said another.

Petrarca took the joshing in good humor.

NO SCHUSSING. The ski club at the Fort Allen Elementary School in the Hempfield Area School District is no more.

School directors refused to approve one of the club's sponsors, claiming the teacher "was under criminal investigation" for mailing an off-color greeting card to the daughter of a school director.

In a display of solidarity, the other sponsors quit.

The action angered the Hempfield Area Education Association, which met with administration officials and demanded to know why school directors were conducting a personnel investigation of a teacher. The Pennsylvania School Code mandates that only administrators can conduct investigations into personnel matters.

Union President Joe Scheuermann, Superintendent Terry Foriska and Personnel Director George DeCaro discussed the matter with state police, who said the teacher was not a suspect.

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