Rumored gubernatorial candidate Meehan: 'In November, the world will shift'

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- The Pennsylvania delegation's Wednesday morning breakfast will be remembered by most in the crowd for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee speech on behalf of John McCain.

Less memorable, but perhaps more interesting to political observers -- it featured the two rumored leading GOP gubernatorial candidates, Attorney General Tom Corbett and former U.S. attorney Patrick Meehan, sitting in the same room.

Corbet spoke before the delegation -- Meehan to PolitickerPA.com.

During a short interview after breakfast, Meehan deflected talk of running for governor but conceded that since stepping down from his position he has met "many new friends" across the state.

"Now that I've resigned, I have a chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones," he told PolitickerPA.com, adding that his term as a prosecutor prevented him from any political associations.

Meehan emphasized his role now is to do whatever he can to help elect McCain and other local Republicans, not campaign for himself. Corbett, who Meehan called his friend, has espoused a similar position, and indeed he must defeat Democratic challenger John Morganelli just to earn re-election this fall.

But Meehan said the situation will be different post-election.

"In November, the world will shift," he said.

Pennsylvania's political landscape has shifted leftward in recent years, with Democrats earning a million-voter registration advantage after April's primary. Pennsylvania has only two Republican statewide elected officials, Corbett and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Philadelphia).

Meehan cited a list of elected and former elected officials, including former Gov. Tom Ridge and Specter, as examples of the kind of moderates who appeal to Pennsylvanians.

"When it's all said and done, that's the political reality of what's won in Pennsylvania," he said.