Give U.S. Sen. Bob Casey credit for checking out the request in person.

A big story in Erie, Pa., every spring centers around whether funding will come through to replenish sand on the beaches of Presque Isle State Park. It's northwestern Pennsylvania's mini-Cape Cod, which fuels a tourism industry in these parts worth millions of dollars.

When the U.S. congress took a pass at funding the sand replenishment this year, Pensylvania stepped forward to provide $700,000 toward the project. It's of vital importance to the beaches, because tons of sand keeps washing away every winter. No sandy beaches come summer, no tourists. Just as important, the permanent erosion of this important environmental resource would deal Erie a catastrophic blow.

So, when the Erie Times-News called on government leaders to formulate a plan to care for local beaches, Casey, to his credit, made arrangements to come here and see Presque Isle for himself. He didn't actually stick his bare tootsies in the warm sand, but he strolled on the beaches and took in the breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Later, when Casey met with the Erie Times-News Editorial Board, he said he had a real sense of Presque Isle. "Sometimes, nothing works as well as going there yourself and experiencing a place."

Casey, six months into his first term in the senate, started his session with the newspaper's board by apologizing. "I regret I wasn't able to make it to Erie during the campaign," he said. "I should have been here, and I'm sorry I wasn't."

His apology sounded genuine and I felt I came away from the session with a better understanding of Casey than I had going in. Based on past meetings and observations of the Scranton politician on the campaign stump, I always thought of him as stiff and robotic -- kind of in an Al Gore vein. But now Gore is wowing the Hollywood crowd at the Academy Awards, and Bob Casey is coming off as warm, wise and witty at editorial board meetings.

Everything that's said at such meetings is on the record, and Casey, though careful and thoughtful, did not pull any punches. He considers the war in Iraq a mistake and is already working with five other U.S. Senators to revive the Iraq study committee, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker.

Casey also said U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez must go. "His integrity has been compromised and he needs to resign," the senator said. In addition to his take on buying sand for Presque Isle and the war in Iraq, Casey provided us with a little "inside baseball" from inside the beltway.

It's why nothing compares with meeting with newsmakers in person. That goes for newspaper reporters, as well as the newsmakers themselves.

-- Kevin Cuneo

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