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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) – Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell dismissed the McCain campaign’s recent attacks against Barack Obama’s character Saturday, and said the Republican nominee’s current strategy has severely damaged him here. “I think the John McCain of 2000 would have been a very difficult candidate to beat. The John McCain of 2008 is much less difficult to beat,” Rendell told reporters after an Obama rally. When asked if he thought there has been any racial undercurrent to the McCain-Palin ticket bringing up issues like Obama’s relationship with 1960s radical William Ayers, Rendell shook his head.

Sen. Barack Obama jumped to a 7-point lead in a Pennsylvania statewide poll of registered voters conducted between Sept. 23-Sept. 28 by Franklin & Marshall College. Franklin & Marshall poll director G. Terry Madonna told Tribune-Review reporter David M. Brown that the fundamentals are shifting in Obama’s favor with some support gains coming from female and independent voters. Late last evening, I stopped into a Southwestern Pennsylvania auto service garage and asked the three gentlemen working on various vehicles what their thoughts were on the election.

It will be the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) against the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) that suck up all of the oxygen in this state this weekend, not Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain. The famed east vs. west rivalry was once a singular team, which happened back in 1943 during World War II, when both teams lost many players to military service. The popular, though not official, nickname of the team was "The Steagles". But the Obama and McCain campaigns will certainly make every effort to remind game goers at tail gate celebrations that there is a race going on here...

HARRISBURG: Governor Edward G. Rendell and Fannie Mae Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Franklin D. Raines today announced the creation of the Keystone Housing Initiative, a public-private partnership that will help 250,000 Pennsylvania families, including 50,000 first-time homebuyers, achieve the American dream of owning their own homes. "Access to affordable homeownership can make the difference in whether a company comes to Pennsylvania, or stays here," Governor Rendell said. "The Keystone Housing Initiative will make this Commonwealth a better place for families to live, and for companies to invest, and create and retain jobs." The Keystone Housing Initiative, backed by a...

DENVER -- Upon sewing up the Democratic nomination for president, Barack Obama inherited a mixed blessing: Ed Rendell. On one hand, the governor who led the charge for Hillary Clinton's victory over Obama in Pennsylvania is a coveted ally in Keystone State politics and one who is essential to Obama's bid for the White House. On the other, Rendell's propensity for veering off-message already shows signs of rocking Obama's boat.

Rendell says McCain will announce running mate Friday in Pa… and it won’t be Ridge By Dan Hirschhorn Category: President, US Senate, Governor, LocalTags: Tom Ridge, John McCain, Ed Rendell, Democratic National Convention Gov. Ed Rendell DENVER--During his opening remarks to the Pennsylvania delegation to the Democratic convention here this morning, Gov. Ed Rendell shared what he said was presumptive Republican nominee John McCain's plans for announcing his running mate. Rendell said that McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, would reveal his running mate Friday in Washington, Pa. He said that former Gov. Tom Ridge, whose name had been floated...

Double chin chiminy chin chin charoo. Pennsylvania Governess Edwina Rendell has been selected to address the members of the Democratic Convention on Tuesday night, according to press officials. Nanny Rendell, as she likes to be called, is expected to talk about how deep state intrusion has helped growth in her home state of Pennsylvania--and by Pennsylvania, she means Philadelphia and, to a lesser degree, Pittsburgh. Nanny has been instrumental in helping the state lean toward a more centralized, bureaucratic healthcare system, while disregarding other options, like improving a system of free health clinics. "As I like to say a teaspoon...

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was supposed to give “closing remarks” during this afternoon’s Shorenstein Center-sponsored panel discussion with all three Sunday show moderators — NBC’s Tom Brokaw, ABC’s George Stephanopoulous and CBS’s Bob Schieffer — but instead, he opened up a can of worms about bias in 2008 election coverage "Ladies and gentleman, the coverage of Barack Obama was embarrassing," said Rendell, in the ballroom at Denver's Brown Palace Hotel. "It was embarrassing." Rendell, an ardent Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter during the primaries, now backs Obama in the general election. Brokaw and Rendell began debating campaign coverage, including the on-air...

Pennsylvania's Gov. Ed Rendell told PolitikerPA, a political Web site, that "Early on, I said I would cast my ballot for Sen. Clinton, I'm going to cast my ballot for her, and then the moment I cast my vote, I'm going to continue to enthusiastically support Sen. Obama. It's going to be a good release for all of us." Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo confirmed to the Tribune-Review via email Rendell's statement with this response: "He (Rendell) will vote for Senator Clinton on the first ballot as part of his commitment as a pledged delegate. He will then support Sen. Obama...

Patch Rendell visits the state's latest health care initiative. Pennsylvania criminals get great health care, now Gov. Edward (Patch) Rendell is creating a plan to grant the state's low-income workers access to premium health care by participating in the penal system. Rendell said that the state allowed a child rapist to get a million-dollar heart bypass surgery. The Crime for Coverage will provide similar quality health care for workers who show the initiative to plan and execute crimes. "Now, we're not saying you have to be a rapist, or a murderer, although these crimes do provide long-term coverage," Rendell said....

A longtime Western Pennsylvania politician once said, “You run with the top of the ticket when you can, and run away from it when you have to.” Which explains U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire’s short answer as to whether he will campaign in his district with Barack Obama: He’ll “consider it.” Altmire -– a previous skeptic of offshore drilling who now supports it, pitting him against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -– said it will depend on when the presumptive nominee comes to town and if their schedules mesh. “I am not going to avoid it,” he added.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D) says he will appoint a “Chief Diversity Czar” for the state “to help people expand their circle of acquaintances beyond their own narrow ethnic group.” Phase 1 of the diversity program will focus on public places. Enforcement officers from the Diversity Bureau will conduct surprise audits of public places to ascertain whether the persons gathered at a location are “properly diverse.” “We will give small gatherings of less than ten persons leeway,” said Diversity Czar nominee, Douglas A. Pryer. “But larger groups will have to come within any acceptable range of a racially balanced equilibrium....

I hold in my hand proof that Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell wants Barack Obama to lose the presidential election this November. What do I have? I have a July 31 press release announcing that Rendell has established a “Chief Diversity Officer” for the Keystone State backed up by the legal force of the state government. Rendell’s action is great news, of course, for the leftist-multiculturalist cause of “diversity.” But Rendell’s action is also an early warning indicator: It’s a signal to non-leftists, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, of what an even greater emphasis on “diversity” might look like. That is to...

The Sen. Barack Obama campaign held a conference call this morning on one of the key battleground states in this race: Pennsylvania. Team O, led by Gov. Ed Rendell, stressed the importance of registering and winning over the one-million-plus, un-registered voters spread out over the Keystone State.

It's complicated. Pennsylvania is a "purple" state that must go Democrat blue instead of Republican red for Barack Obama to win the November election. John McCain does not need Pennsylvania to win the White House, but Obama sure does.

Sen. Barack Obama began a panel discussion at Carnegie Mellon University this morning with a bunch of really smart panelists from MIT, General Motors, AOL and the SEIU. Today marks Obama's first visit to the Steel City since April 21, the eve of the Pennsylvania primary; Obama won the city of Pittsburgh proper in the spring primary, but not the state.

Who knew that newbie Democrat congressman Jason Altmire (4th District) and Republican congressman Tim Murphy (18th District) would ever "town hall" together? The reason there are no answers is because there were none to be found. Today Murphy and Altmire sent out a news release announcing that they would host two joint town hall meetings together:

Hey, swing state Florida, I will not offshore drill The Sen. Barack Obama press machine issued this statement that Obama will deliver at his media avail this afternoon, in which he pledges (where have we heard that word before?) to keep the federal moratorium against offshore drilling in place: "When I am president, I will keep the moratorium in place and prevent oil companies from drilling off Florida's coasts," the statement reads. "That's how we can protect our coasts and still make the investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices for good."

Bill and Jill Bill Burton, communications director extraordinaire for the Obama campaign reached out and touched someone today on the McCain campaign: his counterpart, Jill Hazelbaker. Here is the content of the email he sent out to reporters before the McCain conference call: “Jill – hope you’re well. We’d like to add our campaign counsel, Bob Bauer to your conference call with Trevor Potter so that we can arbitrate some of the disagreements that the two of them have over the meeting they recently had. If you can please shoot me the dial-in, Bob is available to join for the...

Congressman Altmire hearts McCain PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Rep. Jason Altmire, whose congressional district went overwhelmingly for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the six-week primary that was Pennsylvania, kind of likes Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain’s proposal to invest in nuclear energy and clean coal. Here is the statement that he released today on McCain’s proposal to construct 45 nuclear reactors by 2030 and spend $2 billion a year in federal funding on clean coal. “I have always been a strong supporter of nuclear energy and clean coal technology, and I welcome Senator McCain’s announcement today that he is...

Governor Ed Rendell was just asked by John Scott if he would take the VP spot if offered. He said no he would not make a good choice. This is that old "Clinton loyaltly" that Strickland is also abiding by. The Democrat Party is NOT united. Rendell doesn't want to be asked by Obama to be the VP. Rendell continued on that he doesn't have foreign policy experience. And was about to say more on why he wasn't qualified. But John Scott cut him off because of a commercial break.

Rendell vs. Ridge By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, June 15, 2008 Could Pennsylvania be the keystone to the vice presidency? Both Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell are reported as in the hunt to be on the national tickets of their parties' presidential nominees. Ridge is Pennsylvania's former two-term Republican governor and one-time national homeland security director; Rendell is now in his second term as the state's Democrat governor. Both are very popular in their own rights -- and very effective politicians. Yet they have never met on a political battleground. But what if their parties' nominees were to pick them...

HARRISBURG -- The state Senate has broken a yearlong stalemate on a statewide smoking ban, approving a compromise bill Tuesday that would make Pennsylvania the 33rd state to outlaw smoking in many workplaces and public spaces. The Senate voted 41-9, sending the bill to Gov. Ed Rendell to be signed into law in what supporters hailed as a step forward for public health and protecting people from the dangers of second-hand smoke. All but one senator representing parts of York County gave approval. The sole holdout was retiring Sen. Terry Punt, R-Franklin, who voted in favor of the same legislation...

Pennsylvania’s Governor Ed Rendell (D) says lying under oath is “necessary in some circumstances.” The Governor said “however, perjury must be used judiciously, not indiscriminately.” To illustrate this distinction, Rendell argued that it would “never be permissible for an ordinary citizen to lie, but it might be for public officials such as myself. We have broader obligations that could require such prevarication.” “Take the issue of adultery, for example,” Rendell said. “There would be no need for an ordinary person to lie about this under oath. The same isn’t true for a public official like me. An admitted instance of...

Philadelphia - A union staffer's 2002 court declaration asserted that current governor and former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell (D) encouraged Teamsters to pursue assault charges against a nonviolent protester, The Bulletin has learned. Testimony Mr. Rendell offered earlier that year differed markedly from the account. The differing versions emerge from the saga of assault victim Don Adams's arduous legal battles. After the Teamsters agreed in March to settle his almost decade-long civil action, Mr. Adams found the justice he received welcome, if incomplete. Mr. Adams, his sister Teri and about 40 others went to Center City to protest a visit...

James Carville on CNN “American Morning” today said that he, Gov. Jon Corzine and Gov. Ed Rendell made an offer to pay the entire Michigan Democratic primary revote with $30 million they raised. Claims the Obama camp declined offer. Previously in March, they had only offered to pay for half the costs.

Rendell: Clinton 'Very Unlikely' To Win May 28, 2008 3:01 PM ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Staunch Clinton campaign supporter Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday that his favored candidate is "very unlikely" to capture the Democratic nomination, and said that will mean Democratic Party will nominate the weaker candidate for the fall campaign against Sen. John McCain. Rendell, D-Pa., told Bloomberg Television that he believes polls that suggest that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a "far better candidate" than Sen. Barack Obama in swing states. But he added that he's a "realist" who recognizes that superdelegates are likely to continue...

Stretching through the rural countryside with limited access and no speed limit in 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built to resemble Germany's autobahn. Now thanks to a $12.8 billion dollar offer, it may soon become Spain's. According to a report in the Philadelphia Daily News, Gov. Ed Rendell has announced that Abertis Infraestructuras of Barcelona has offered the top dollar bid to the state of Pennsylvania for the rights to manage the toll road under a 75-year lease. The highway could become just the latest in a string of U.S. infrastructure landmarks to be operated by foreign companies. In 2004,...

Governor Edward “G-slots” Rendell (D-Philly Cream Cheese) has officially un-endorsed Hillary Clinton. “Did I say I endorsed Hillary Clinton? You’re kidding me?” Rendell said. “I misspoke. I meant to say that I endured Clinton. I had no intention of endorsing her. Yuck!” According to Rendell, he is trying to right this miscue by officially un-endorsing Clinton and sending back most of the kickbacks. “Not all,” Rendell said. “Most… OK… A portion. Some. A few. Alright, one.” Rendell said he has always been a strong Obama supporter, especially since it looks like he might receive the party’s nomination. Rendell said the...

That's the ticket. by Fred Barnes 05/07/2008 The NOTION THAT BARACK Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate is crazy. She passes the first test of a veep selection: she's a plausible president. But she fails the second. She doesn't qualify as a partner on the Democratic ticket (and possibly in the White House) that Obama would be comfortable with--far from it. But there is someone who does meet these two requirements, plus a third one and maybe a fourth. That person is Democratic Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania. Yes, Rendell was the leading supporter of...

The NOTION THAT BARACK Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate is crazy. She passes the first test of a veep selection: she's a plausible president. But she fails the second. She doesn't qualify as a partner on the Democratic ticket (and possibly in the White House) that Obama would be comfortable with--far from it. But there is someone who does meet these two requirements, plus a third one and maybe a fourth. That person is Democratic Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania. Yes, Rendell was the leading supporter of Clinton when she trounced Obama in the...

Rendell joins Chelsea Clinton for 'gay pub crawl' in Phillyby BRETT LIEBERMAN, Of The Patriot-News Saturday April 19, 2008, 4:22 PM Christopher Murray embraces Chelsea Clinton Friday night when the former first daughter campaigned with Gov. Ed Rendell and actor Rob Reiner during a pub crawl of gay bars in Philadelphia. They loved her hair; they smacked her butt; they hooted and hugged Friday night as Chelsea Clinton hit Philadelphia for what campaign aides called a "gay pub crawl." BRETT LIEBERMAN, The Patriot-News "Chelsea, the gays love you!" Jeff Guaracino, 35, shouted as the former first daughter took the stage...

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said that media in the U.S. have abandoned any pretense of neutrality in the Democratic presidential race and are heavily biased toward Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. In an interview with Britain’s Financial Times, Rendell — who has endorsed Clinton in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary — said the bias against the former first lady is the worst instance of favoritism “I have seen in my 31 years in politics.” He added: “The media has drunk the Kool-Aid with Obama … They have fallen in love with the message and the messenger… “They don’t even pretend to...

Senator Barack Obama fought back Saturday against accusations from his rivals that he had displayed a profound misunderstanding of small-town values, in a flare-up that left him on the defensive before a series of primaries that could test his ability to win over white voters in economically distressed communities. For a second day, Mr. Obama sought to explain his remarks at a recent San Francisco fund-raiser that small-town Pennsylvania voters, bitter over their economic circumstances, “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” as a way to explain their frustrations. Acknowledging Saturday that “I didn’t...

"...Midge Rendell went on to become a federal trial court judge in 1994 and was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1997 to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals..." "...She is now one step away from a seat on the highest court in the land, the U.S. Supreme Court, and Specter says that could be in her future..."

An error of judgment: Penn is out TRIBUNE-REVIEW BY: Salena Zito Hillary Clinton's chief strategist and pollster Mark Penn has made like Elvis and left the building, a little more than two weeks before the Pennsylvania April 22nd primary.

Rendell-Casey, Round 2 By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, April 6, 2008 To win Pennsylvania, Barack Obama must pull off a "Missouri" -- that is, do what he did in the Show Me State: win a handful of heavily populated, liberal-centric counties and call it a day. Ironically, that is what Ed Rendell (a Hillary Clinton supporter) did to Bob Casey (an Obama supporter) in Pennsylvania's 2002 Democrat gubernatorial primary.

Real clear politics has a link today to a piece by Time's Karen Tumulty profiling Clinton blowhard Ed Rendell. It's not worth reading ( click the link if you want to see it), but the "money quote" is in the headline above. Rendell excoriates the MSM for their unfair coverage of the Dem primary race, and praises Fox News for being the "fairest" in their political coverage..Astounding..pigs can fly..and blind ones even find acorns..

WASHINGTON (AP) - Supporters of both Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton agree on at least one thing -- that Obama's campaign shouldn't have let a retired general accuse Bill Clinton of McCarthyism. The fracas started when the former president spoke last week in North Carolina, saying it would be great to have an election between "two people who loved this country" and focused on the issues instead of other distractions. Retired General Merrill McPeak accused Clinton of questioning Obama's patriotism, and likened the comments to communist-hunting Senator Joseph McCarthy. On "Fox News Sunday," Obama supporter and New Mexico governor...

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is on the witness list in Paul v Clinton. He is a key witness and is going to be asked questions about money he failed to report. If any of you can help advance this story on blogs in Pennsylvania before the primary, that effort would be appreciated. Will the mainstream media touch it? The odds are probably not very good. If you know any Obama people, this should interest them. WATCH RENDELL & HILLARY

'Clinton Country' celebrates St. Patrick's Day By Mike Wereschagin and Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, March 16, 2008 A warm -- and loud -- reception awaited Sen. Hillary Clinton along the St. Patrick's Day parade route Downtown. Flanked by Gov. Ed Rendell, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Clinton walked the mile-long route Saturday morning as Pittsburghers showered her with affection. Clinton is heavily favored to win Western Pennsylvania in the April 22 Democratic primary, in which she will square off with rival Sen. Barack Obama. It was Clinton's second day campaigning in the city, after making...

In the state, it's politics unusual for Clinton, Obama By Mike Wereschagin TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, March 16, 2008 Patrons pack the bar at Rookie's Restaurant and Sports Pub in Allentown, but their conversations steer clear of the political battle being waged for their votes. Bartender Nick Goldsmith keeps an ear on what is said inside this Lehigh County joint. If one of the candidates' names comes up, he knows he might have to jump in and shut down an argument before it becomes a fight. Again. "I don't usually discourage it until it gets out of hand," says Goldsmith, 29. That's...

Primary re-does costlyPOSTED: March 8, 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., left, get a hug from Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell as she in introduces at a campaign stop for a low dollar fundraising reception at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University, in Washington, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) LANSING (AP) — The biggest stumbling block to doing over the Democratic primaries in Michigan and Florida may be the cost. Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer estimates it would cost the state party $8 million to $12 million to set up party-run election sites and allow...

If he can get some assistance from a Pennsylvania attorney, Peter Paul's counsel may be able to have Gov. Ed Rendell under oath in a deposition just before the Pennsylvania Primary. It may cause a bit of embarrassment for both Rendell and the Clintons. Peter's counsel is speaking with counsel who may want to participate in the Rendell grilling. Part of a problem that is being encountered is that some big firms will not let any of their attorneys take on Rendell or the Clintons. They see it as bad for business. If you know a bulldog attorney in Pennsylvania...

TRIBUNE-REVIEW Pa. no longer on the horizon By: Salena Zito It's showtime, folks ... part II. Welcome to a smaller yet more critically important Super Tuesday. Today has become the focus for the Democrats in a political season that has seen the primary contest maps redrawn in a way no pundit could have ever predicted. In an interview last week, Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean told the Tribune-Review that he never would have predicted that the primary season would have gone on this long. In fact, Dean said he thought it would have been decided before the first Super...

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) said Monday that the media's pro-Obama (or anti-Clinton) bias explains in part why Barack Obama is portrayed as running away with the Democratic presidential nomination (instead of being locked in a close fight with Hillary Rodham Clinton). "The media does not like the Clintons for whatever reason," Rendell, a Clinton supporter, said in an interview with The Fix. "Maybe some of it's [the Clintons'] fault, but the media does not like the Clintons." Rendell insisted that the "media has relished this fall with glee that I have never seen in any other candidate in the...

The Talk Shows Sunday, February 24th, 2008 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): McCain campaign manager Rick Davis; Govs. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jon Corzine, D-N.J., and Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and former presidential candidate.FACE THE NATION (CBS): THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.LATE EDITION (CNN) : Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R); National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell; Robert Bennett, attorney for McCain; Govs. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kan., and Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.; Sen. Chuck Hagel,...

Clinton plays for keeps TRIBUNE-REVIEW BY Salena Zito Yes, poll numbers are slipping away from Hillary Clinton and shifting toward Barack Obama. And if former presidential campaign manager for Bill Clinton David Wilhelm is an indicator of things to come, super-delegate support is being peeled away as well. Yet with all of that going against the junior senator from New York, it would be unwise to count her out just yet, or ever. Because as dodgy as things may get for Clinton, she is not one to give up -- even when facing a 10-game losing streak from contests that...

Many are still incensed by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell’s editorial board comments in Monday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette… “You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate.” That, along with the introduction of race as a component of the Democrat presidential nomination process, has alarmed many liberals who believed they were above all that. I contend, that kind of thinking is in their blood. As far as Rendell’s comments, he’s more ignorant than racist. Since “conservative whites” are… conservative, the chances they would vote for a Democrat in...

Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell says Barack Obama is going to lose votes because some white voters are not ready for a black president: "I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate." Rendell also said he thought race cost his Republican opponent, former NFL star Lynn Swann, around five points in the 2006 election for governor. Rendell's statement was jarring for me. Last summer, at my wife's high school reunion, I met a guy who grew up in Penn Yan and now works for a nuclear facility outside Pittsburgh. He's a Libertarian...