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Comedian Stephen Colbert wants schools to benefit from the presidential campaign. He has created a straw poll that will benefit schools in Pennsylvania, the site of the next Democratic primary.

Colbert, of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," a mock conservative talk show, is conducting the online "Stephen Colbert Pennsylvania Straw Poll That Makes A Difference."

On his show, Colbert has nicknamed the Clinton-Obama contest "Democralypse Now." This straw poll is his alternative.

Donors choose to fund a classroom project "in honor of Hillary Clinton" or "in honor or Barack Obama." The straw poll is taking place online at DonorsChoose.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that targets school equity and distribution of materials.

Colbert attempted to enter the South Carolina primaries and supporters donated $66,000 to that state's schools in his honor.

Colbert's sarcasm-laden humor does not appeal to all, but this cause seems worthy. Check out the straw poll at www.donorschoose.org

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck — it's probably a duck. So goes the traditional explanation of inductive reasoning. The Education Finance Reform Group's ad praising Republican state Sen. Tim Bee sure swims and quacks like a campaign commercial.

The group, a lobbying organization formed and supported by school districts, created a 30-second television ad airing on cable stations in Tucson and Cochise County, the Star's Daniel Scarpinato reported Tuesday. The lobbying group says that the ad is a big thank you for Bee's support for a measure that would help teachers earn more.

Bee is running for Congress against Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The ad timing is ill-advised: The Legislature is winding down and the congressional campaign will be building. The ad does not identify its origins or funding source as required by federal election law.

To top it off, the lobbying group is funded by school districts (read: tax dollars). That appears to be a circuitous way to get around the state law that precludes school districts from advocating for a position or a defeat of a candidate.

The conclusion of the ad — "Tim Bee. Fighting for fairness for Southern Arizona" — is much broader that a thank you for support of a bill.

After seeing the ad, Scarpinato reported that Bee said: "A thank-you letter would have sufficed. Money should be spent on education."

The Education Finance Reform Group should spend $5 for a box of thank-you cards and some stamps, and skip the campaign-like commercials.