And late last week, ads for a new Onorato campaign website - "CluelessTom.com" - began appearing in online editions of the New York Times and several other papers.
"It's so explosive," Onorato said in an interview Friday after a news conference at a state employment office in Lancaster - where, in March, Corbett first spoke of his concern that extending unemployment benefits might discourage the jobless from seeking work. "If you don't understand that, how can you fix it as governor?"
Corbett's campaign spokesman, Harley, said the attorney general was well aware of the plight of the unemployed.
"The fact is Tom Corbett knows firsthand that the vast majority of people are diligently seeking work," said Harley. "He knows this because he's met with people looking for jobs."
Political analysts say Corbett could have done a better job of handling the fallout.
Corbett gave brief interviews to two news outlets last week, but has since largely retreated from public view - a misstep, analysts say.
"He has to say, 'OK, I'm sorry if my words were offensive, I made a mistake, but look at what I'm going to do to help,' " said Chris Borick, a politics professor at Muhlenberg College. "He has to show that his policies and efforts will address some of the very problems that his comments might have understated."
