Hillary Clinton

By now I am sure almost all of you have seen the latest edition of JibJab.coms campaign 2008. An interesting note is Governor Ed Rendell makes a small cameo appearance in the movie during Hillary Clinton’s 2012 rally. The one thing that cannot be denied is his loyalty.

JibJab

Gov. Ed Rendell delivers opening remarks at the NGA meeting with Gov. Tim Pawlenty, left, and Mayor Michael Nutter, rightPHILADELPHIA -- After his brief opening remarks kicked off this weekend's centennial meeting of the National Governors Association here Friday, PolitickerPA.com caught up with Gov. Ed Rendell for a brief interview on the famous Art Museum steps.

Rendell is poised to assume leadership of the NGA this weekend from current chair Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

In his opening remarks, he thanks the NGA for choosing Philadelphia, and made sure to point out the scenery of the steps, where Sylverster Stalone's "Rocky" famously trained in the movie.

"You're welcome to try it; there's no liability to the city or the state if anyting happens going up the stairs," he cracked, "but you're welcome to try it."

Here is PolitickerPA.com's interview with Rendell.

PHILADELPHIA -- After working the crowd during the National Governors Association annual meeting, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter told PolitickerPa.com said he was ready to campaign hard for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

"We've had some contact with the campaign," he said. "I will do anything, go anywhere, do whatever I can, expend all possible energy. They just need to tell me the time and place."

Nutter campaigned hard for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary during the spring, but said he would campaign for Obama when the primary season ended.

More coverage of the centennial meeting of the National Governors Association coming soon.

Gov. Ed Rendell: Getty Images PhotoNobody ever said Gov. Ed Rendell took things sitting down.

The governor has formed a grassroots group for Democrats who, while disappointed by U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) defeat, plan to support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Called Hillary-Obama-United-Not-Divided, or HOUND, it was created in response to a group called PUMA, short for Party unity, my ass. That group seeks to dissuade former Clinton supporters from voting for Obama.

The governor, who was one of Clinton's most high-profile supporters, wrote the group's credo, which appears on the state Democrats' Web site. Rendell wrote that former Clinton supporters should vote for Obama not because of party loyalty, but because his policies are nearly identical to hers.

A national civic-engagement group is pushing hard to register Latino voters before the November election, and nearly 9,800 new Latino voters have been registered in the state since January, The Inquirer reports.

"Hispanics currently represent approximately 4 percent of the overall Pennsylvania electorate," public opinion researcher Fernand Amandi told The Inquirer. "Going back eight years, two presidential cycles, they were just 1 percent."

As the push continues, many are expected to register as Democrats, which is likely to exacerbate GOP losses in the state. Latino voters went heavily for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in April's Democratic primary, but recent polling suggests the surge in Latino registration could bode well for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Much has been made about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton meeting in Unity NH for their first public appearance together, but Inside Edge thinks they could have done better. 

Both NH and Pennsylvania are swing states, but NH only has 4 Electoral College votes while Pennsylvania has 21.  Yes NH has a Unity, but we have even a better one.  We have Pleasant Unity located in Westmoreland County.  How could the Obama team choose a Unity event when they could have a Peasant Unity event?

While school districts officials in the state contemplate when U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) will pay up for campaign events they hosted, The Morning Call reports on a new ripple in the campaign-school district relationship.

In this case, the Reading School District waived fees for an April rally held at a local high school for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). But now, school board member William Cinfici says that may have been illegal.

While other school board members disagreeed, The Morning Call reports, Cinfici equated waiving the fee with a donation to the campaign he called unfair to taxpayers.

The school board's lawyer is looking into the matter.

As talk heats up about vice-presidential candidates and names are floated, Ed Rendell may make the best case for why he should not be chosen. 

In 2000, after John McCain’s strong primary challenge to George Bush, some pundits talked about McCain as Bush’s running mate.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) campaign owes a variety of Pennsylvania people, businesses, municipalities and schools a total of $231,000 after her primary efforts here in April, The Patriot-News reports.

Amounts owed include $2,120 to the Zembo Shrine Center in Harrisburg, nearly $24,000 to the University of Pennsylvania, and more than $38,000 to J.V. Chujko, an audio and visual firm in McKees Rocks, the paper reports.

Two Pennsylvanian school districts have also complained about delayed payments from the Clinton campaign.

Losing campaigns have a history of delaying payments on their debts. The 2004 Presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) didn't pay a bill for an event at the Scranton Cultural Center for nine months, according to center director Matthew Flynn. The Clinton campaign owes him $3,744, he said.

"I assume we will get paid," he told The Patriot-News.

Brett Lieberman is reporting Hillary Clinton’s campaign is leaving some staff and businesses unpaid after she closed up shop.  Clinton’s campaign owes more than $231,000 in debts in Pennsylvania.  If they go unpaid, they would surely not be the first financial casualties of a failed campaign.