They won't get this photo-op.
Posted on 07/27/2004 9:20:17 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Getting Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and John Edwards (D-N.C.) to come to northeast Pennsylvania for their first public appearance after being named the official presidential and vice presidential nominees is quite an achievement, Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) believes.
After the Democratic National Convention wraps up Thursday, Kerry and Edwards will embark on a "Believe in America" tour, to begin with three rallies in Pennsylvania. It will kick off at the Lackawanna County Courthouse square in Scranton on Friday, July 30, at 2 p.m.
Mark Nevins, spokesman for Kerry's campaign in Pennsylvania, said Kerry and Edwards will "barnstorm the country and talk to families and communities about their plan for America's future." They will be joined by their families and special guests along the way.
The trip across America will span two weeks and 21 states, cover over 3,500 miles and include a fleet of buses, trains and boats.
"It's a real coup that we won. We've been working on this for a month. To start it off in northeast Pennsylvania is extraordinary," Kanjorski said. He noted that the event will bring huge national coverage to the area, since the major media will be there to get the first post-convention comments from Kerry and Edwards.
Kanjorski, who represents most of Luzerne County and half of Lackawanna County, tried to get Kerry and Edwards to come to Wilkes-Barre, but the location in Scranton was decided to be more practical.
"It was a toss-up, but that's the easiest and most secure area," Kanjorski admitted. "Just getting them in my district is important to me."
After Scranton, Kerry and Edwards will head to Harrisburg for a 7 p.m. rally with Gov. Ed Rendell on the steps of the state capitol. They will finish their Pennsylvania leg of the tour in the western part of the state, arriving in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 31.
Scranton, Harrisburg and Greensburg are not the biggest cities in the state, but Kanjorski said they are where the most important blocs of voters are.
President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are aware of that fact, and have already been touring the state, making stops in small towns and third-class cities.
"One thing I'm certain of is we're going to get (multiple) visits from all four candidates. We're really one of the targeted areas that could make a difference in who carries the state," Kanjorski said. He and Nevins said Kerry and Edwards do not intend to leave Wilkes-Barre off their list.
"There's a lot of time between now and Nov. 2. It's our hope to be back in the Northeast a number of times," Nevins said.
Kanjorski explained the reasoning behind the efforts to welcome Kerry to the area.
"This is to set in his mind the importance of northeastern Pennsylvania," he said. "I'll extract a promise from him that as soon as he gets elected and has the opportunity to travel, to visit northeast PA."
Scranton is the last bastion of Catholic White Guys who are fiercely Democratic. They can be one issue voters on the abortion issue but can be fooled with the "safe, legal and rare" gambit
Interesting choice. Scranton was the home of the late Democrat Bob Casey the last pro-life Governor of Pennsylvania. [Subsequent Republican Tom Ridge is an abortion rights supporter. I haven't seen if Ridge still goes to Communion.]
They won't get this photo-op.
Tur-ayyyy-za also has investments based in Scranton (Lackawanna Health and Welfare Authority Bonds; holdings between $100,001-$250,000)
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