Keystone State officials stress Obama's candidacy to delegates during opening breakfast

Gov. Ed Rendell, center, with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, left, and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.DENVER -- They trickled in to the Marriot ballroom gradually, most still adjusting to the high altitude as they gathered their buffet breakfast. As they ate, they shared their excitement for being at the Democratic Party's historic nominating convention here.

And then, they listened to the big wigs.

Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and state party chairman T.J. Rooney all addressed the Pennsylvania state delegation at its opening breakfast here this morning. Delegates were also treated to the comedic, energetic stylings of Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who talked about turning red-state Montana to blue, and brief remarks from Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer.

But it was Rendell who took the lead, making it clear that his own campaigning for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) had begun in earnest.

"Anyone out there who thinks John McCain is a progressive or a moderate, you're missing the boat," Rendell said, rejoicing in the fact that his state is becoming, he said, "a focal point in this election."

"John McCain is no moderate," he continued. "He's no progressive. He's no friend of women. Barack Obama is all of those things."

After Rendell took some playful jabs at Nutter for his more critical campaigning against Obama before the state's April primary, Nutter took it in stride.

"The primary's over," he said. "You can love Hillary Clinton and still support Barack Obama. They're not mutually exclusive."

Onorato, for his part, told the crowd that the western areas won by Clinton in the primary should not be seen as a bad omen for Obama.

"That wasn't an anti-Obama vote," he said. "That was a pro-Clinton vote."

But it was Casey who had the harshest words for McCain, saying the choice between him and Obama "is as simple as it could be." He assailed McCain for supporting President Bush's veto of expanding children's insurance, which he said had hindered Rendell's own health care initiatives.

"If you like the way things are going, you've your candidate," Casey said. "It is John McCain. Go to the polls and vote for him."

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