Bernie Kieklak, chief of staff to the Democratic senator from Northampton County, will remain on her staff if he undergoes counseling and meets "the higher standards that people deserve to expect from individuals in public service," according to a statement.

Kieklak was suspended without pay last week for making vulgar comments online about U.S. Rep. Charles W. Dent, a second-term Republican, and Siobhan "Sam" Bennett, who leads an Allentown nonprofit and is running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Dent in the 2008 election. The comments, posted in early June, came in response to blog entries on the merits of the candidates.

Kieklak submitted his resignation last week, but Boscola did not accept it.

He had initially defended his writings as those of a private citizen exercising his First Amendment rights. But he apologized to Dent, Bennett, Boscola and her constituents in a separate statement yesterday, saying his comments were "vicious and obnoxious."

"I know many, many people are angry with me for what I said and their anger is justified," Kieklak said. "It was my mistake [and] I will regret it for the rest of my life."