Wake-Up Call: Friday, August 29, 2008

With the PolitickerPA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Pennsylvania's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerPA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Pennslyvania's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Next week, Politicker.com will be traveling to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stay tuned to Politicker.com over the course of next week for live updates from the convention.

Rendell, Casey have kind words for Biden at Pa. breakfast

DENVER--Introducing U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) to the Pennsylvania delegation here this morning, Gov. Ed Rendell and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) had nothing but effusive praise for the vice presidential hopeful. (PolitickerPA.com, Dan Hirschorn)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/danh/1523/rendell-casey-have-kind-words-bide...

Group takes on turnpike agency

HARRISBURG — A conservative think tank in Harrisburg rolled out a publicity campaign Thursday attacking the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for a culture of “power, patronage and politics.”

The Commonwealth Foundation unveiled a two-minute video and a poster that describe links between some prominent state politicians and lobbyists and the turnpike commission’s executives and employees. (Times Leader, AP)

Link: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Group_takes_on_turnpike_agency_08-29-200...

Biden: Obama needs Pa. to win

DENVER — Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden told Pennsylvania delegates Thursday that running mate Barack Obama can’t win the White House without the Keystone State.

“This is not hyperbole: We cannot win without Pennsylvania,” Biden said at a breakfast. (Times Leader, AP)

Link: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Biden__Obama_needs_Pa__to_win_08-28-2008...

Pa. acting to mitigate ID breach

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania is working to contain any worries about identity theft after it sent 1,284 mailings containing the Social Security numbers of welfare recipients to wrong addresses. (Inquirer, AP)

Link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080829_Pa__acting_to_mitigate_ID_...

John Baer: The speech? A bit showy. Obama? Worthy of consideration.

DENVER - Allow me to channel a Pennsylvania voter.

As a central Pennsylvanian, born and raised, who has covered three decades of state elections, it's a voter I know. (Philly Daily News, John Baer)

Link: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080829_John_Baer__The_speech__A_...

Jill Porter: A reminder of how far we've come, and of what lies ahead

I WENT to the most obvious

place yesterday to celebrate the Democratic Party's epic nomination of Barack Obama: the African American Museum at 7th and Arch streets.

Where else to honor the momentous event that marks the end of this country's racial past? (Philly Daily News, Jill Porter)

Link:  http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080829_Jill_Porter__A_reminder_o...

Delegate from Allegheny Township says Dems unified

The message Stephen Lucas takes away from the Democratic National Convention is that the party is united behind presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. (Tribune Review, Staff)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_585493.html

In Homewood, an event greeted with tears, glee

They've spent the last few weeks knocking on doors and passing out fliers, making phone calls and following his campaign from their televisions. (Post Gazette, Sadie Gurman)

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08242/907947-470.stm?cmpid=elections.xml

Biden will lead city's Labor Day parade

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden will lead Pittsburgh's 25th Annual Labor Day Parade, the Allegheny County Labor Council announced Thursday. (Tribune Review, Staff)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_585471.html

Mayor leaves convention to face URA fallout

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl cut short his trip to the Democratic National Convention in Denver to strategize Thursday with advisers in Pittsburgh over the vitriolic resignation of the city's top development official. (Tribune Review, Jeremy Boren)

Link:  http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_585423.html

Fayette voters might cast Nov. 4 ballots at new sites

Fayette County officials are considering the possibility of changing the polling places for voters in as many as 10 municipalities by the Nov. 4 general election. (Tribune Review, Mary Pickels)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_585468.html

Beaver County borough officials charged with theft

HARRISBURG -- The state Attorney General's office on Thursday charged the former borough manager of Rochester and a current council member with theft and related charges. (Tribune Review, Brad Bumsted)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_585444.html

Rendell's support a blessing, his bluster a curse

DENVER -- Upon sewing up the Democratic nomination for president, Barack Obama inherited a mixed blessing: Ed Rendell. (Tribune Review, David Brown)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_585464.html

For Casey, a chance to do what his father couldn't in 1992

DENVER--Tuesday was a special evening for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), as he delivered a speech at the Democratic convention 16 years after his late father, former Gov. Robert Casey, was denied a speaking slot at the party's 1992 convention because of his views on abortion. (PolitickerPA.com, Dan Hirschorn)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/danh/1532/casey-chance-do-what-his-father-co...

With the PolitickerPA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Pennsylvania's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.