I guess it's 'cause I'm a liberal, or maybe I've just seen too many bad stand-up comedians. But the minute somebody seems to be on the verge of seriously flopping, I start to feel bad for them.

And right now, I feel sympathy -- yes, I said it -- for Mary Beth Buchanan. 

As our friends at Early Returns have noted, the former US Attorney is being blown out of the water in trying to raise funds for her campaign in PA's 4th Congressional District.  Buchanan has reported $14,395 in campaign contributions in the most recent reporting period -- and $82,815 in contributions throughout the race.

Nearly half of this period's money ($6,000) came from two PACs -- one associated with Phylis Schlafly's Eagle Forum. Other than that, Buchanan's fundraising base for the current period consists of just over a dozen people. (Though FEC records show she has picked up a smattering of additional contributions in the past few days, which aren't covered by the most recent report.)

As for her Republican rival, Keith Rothfus? Dude has raised over $30,000 -- more than twice Buchanan's total in the most recent period. To date, he's raised more than $150,000 in all. (And I'm not including money the candidate has donated to his own campaign.) And while I've noted Rothfus' Tea Party outreach before, the guy obviously has some appeal to the establishment as well. Among his contributors is Charles J. Queenan Jr. -- formerly the chair of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. 

Meanwhile, Jason Altmire, the Democratic incumbent, is sitting on a cool $1.24 million.