Interesting but not surprising since I have no doubt that the senator would have maintained his "closet Italian" status if he hadn't viewed Sen. Harry Reid's innocuous analogy as a chance to thump his chest and rally his "countrymen" in order to garner a few votes. As an authentically proud Italian American (100 percent, no less), I am most offended by Sen. Santorum's sudden burst of Italian pride.

There is a plethora of Italian Americans of note. Captains of industry, inventors, physicians, entertainers, many of whom work to make the world better or brighter for his or her fellow man -- all of whom make the rest of us even more proud of our heritage, even more proud to be a "paisan." In my opinion, Sen. Santorum doesn't even know what a "paisan" is.

With his dismal record of anti-labor, anti-public education and anti-underdog legislation and votes, Sen. Santorum will never make any Italian-American Hall of Fame. I certainly preferred it when no one even knew he was Italian.

Nina Esposito-Visgitis, Marshall