US Senate

Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairman Robert Kerns invites recently-registered Democrats to come back to the GOP.NORRISTOWN - The Montgomery County Republican Committee on Tuesday announced a major voter registration drive, with party leaders saying they hoped longtime Republicans who had changed registration to participate in April's historic Democratic primary would return to the GOP.

Addressing reporters outside the county courthouse here, county GOP chairman Robert Kerns called on recently-registered Democrats to return to the party that, until April, had controlled the county for decades.

"We hope to bring the little elephants home," Kerns said. "It's time to come back to the Republican Party."

Adding to its growing operation in the crucial Philadelphia suburbs, the campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) opened yet another office Tuesday, this one in Chester County.

The campaign placed its county headquarters in West Chester, with the grand opening Tuesday.

Democrats and Independents combined now outnumber Republicans in Chester County, making the area key to Obama's hopes for beating U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the state.

The opening in West Chester comes on the heels of multiple campaign offices opening in Montgomery and Delaware counties in recent days. 

The presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is starting to lay down infrastructure in the critical Philadelphia suburbs, opening campaign offices and coordinating with local party activists in an attempt to win what could be the most important regions in the state.

On Saturday, the campaign opened two offices in Delaware County, where Democrats and independents combined to outnumber Republicans this spring for the first time in decades. The campaign opened one field office in Chester and set up its county headquarters in Media. A July 30 fundraiser in Havertown is already planned to cull donations from local supporters.

Meanwhile, three offices have been opened in Montgomery County, and has sent out requests for volunteer time and supplies from local supporters. Offices are up and running in Jenkintown, Norristown and Ardmore.

Analysts have called the Pennsylvania suburbs essential to Obama's hopes of beating U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the state. With Obama expected to win most of the urban areas and McCain likely to be stronger in rural areas, the Philadelphia suburbs are a key prize. Obama fared worse than he had hoped in the suburbs against U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and will have to win over her supporters to overcome what remains a strong Republican base in the area.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey: Getty Photo ImagesU.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton) held a Wednesday morning fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Bristol), who is fresh off a strong second fundraising quarter.

Matt Binns, a Murphy spokesman, confirmed this morning’s event at the National Democratic Club in Washington. The campaign did not provide any further details on the event.

Murphy is quickly emerging as something of a fundraising behemoth in his freshman class. As PolitickerPA.com’s Dan Hirschhorn reported Tuesday, the Democrat raised $750,000 between the beginning of April and the end of June, bringing his cash-on-hand total to over $2 million.

Murphy’s Republican opponent, pharmaceutical executive Tom Manion, reported raising $241,000 during the second quarter and having about $500,000 in the bank.

The presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has pegged a California native to run its efforts in Pennsylvania, The Morning Call reports.

After weeks of suspense, the campaign settled on Craig Schirmer, who has little experience in Pennsylvania but played  significant roles during Obama's primary campaigns in South Carolina, Wisconsin and North Carolina, The Morning Call reports.

The move comes almost two months after U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) hired veteran political director Ted Christian to lead his Pennslyvania campaign. 

The RNC-coordindated presidential campaign
of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will open its southeastern Pennsylvania headquarters Tuesday in Montgomery County.

The McCain/Victory 2008 headquarters will be placed in Blue Bell in the Philadelphia suburbs. The campaign's state chairman Bob Asher, Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairman Bob Kerns and the campaign's state director Ted Christian are all expected to be on hand Tuesday at 4 p.m. for the grand opening.

In choosing Montgomery County, the McCain campaign seemed to signal its intent to compete hard in the critical Philadelphia suburbs, if not in the city proper, where U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is expected to win handily.

The blog Right Wing News sent out a survey to 240 “right-of-center” bloggers asking them to respond with their leas favorite elected Republicans. Arlen Specter topped the list with a first place tie with Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel. Specter seems to have been building a relationship lately with right wing icon Grover Norquist, but the message doesn’t seem to be getting out.

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.

Wasting no time, the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) immediately responded to a recent Repblican National Committee advertisement criticizing Obama's energy policies with a new spot of his own.

The ad, which criticizes his opponent U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as "part of the problem" on gas prices, also tries once again to connect the presumptive Republican nominee with President Bush.

Titled "New Energy," it is airing here as well as in Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan, the same four states where the RNC ad is airing.

Here is the spot: