In the quest to win a gubernatorial campaign, things can get ugly.

Name calling, finger pointing and general candidate bashing take place on a regular basis.

Things aren’t fair, and they’re not always honest.

Candidates, including those in this year’s Iowa race, often call for “clean campaigns.” But rarely are the campaigns anything but mudslinging brawls.

However, we should be able to expect that the pot won’t call the kettle black.

On Tuesday, Democrat candidate Tom Vilsack attended a high-profile fundraiser that was to include a speech from first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In response to the appearance, Lisa Gimbel, a spokeswoman for Republican candidate Jim Ross Lightfoot, said, “I think it’s more a question of who Tom Vilsack is turning to fund his campaign.

“Sometimes it looks more like he’s running for president of the Teamsters Union than governor,” she said.

Gimbel was referring to the almost $240,000 in donations Vilsack has received from in- and out-of-state labor unions.

The Lightfoot camp is quite critical of Vilsack’s allegiance with the unions, apparently because of the money the workers have given him.

But Gimbel’s comment begs the question:

For CEO of which business is Lightfoot running?

In his campaign, Lightfoot has raised over $700,000 from 458 private donors who, according to an Associated Press story, are well-off businessmen.

Lightfoot raised over three times as much money from wealthy business executives than Vilsack raised from everyday workers. And then Lightfoot called for a hefty tax cut that would benefit — you guessed it — the wealthy contributors to his campaign.

Of course, this should come as no surprise after looking at Lightfoot’s list of donors.

Lightfoot’s leading donor is Des Moines trucking magnate John Ruan. Ruan was accused by former Clinton aide James Carville of receiving a personal exemption to a congressional tax from then-U.S. Sen. Bob Dole.

So can we expect Ruan to expect the same “favors” from a possible governor that he may have received from a U.S. senator?

All kinds of dirty tricks are permitted in politics. Most go by unnoticed with barely a raised eyebrow from the public.

On this occasion, however, Iowans should demand Lightfoot admit who he is really running to serve.