Will Hillary Take Pennsylvania?

By Pamela Mortimer

It’s been a tough battle. Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary may put an end to the race that will decide the next Democratic presidential candidate. Hillary Rodham Clinton has a strong hold in PA, and many forecasts predict that the New York Senator will take the majority of the state’s 158 delegates. However, front runner Barack Obama isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.

With four million Dems eligible to cast votes, Pennsylvania remains the most populous state on the primary trail. Late polls show Clinton in the lead by a narrow margin. With polls opening at 7 A.M., the candidates have no choice but to wait. That is, after they make last minute appeals to the public.

"What (Obama) has to demonstrate is to win a big state, a big state that Democrats need to win in order to achieve the presidency," Clinton told CBS’ The Early Show. "The road to Pennsylvania Avenue for a Democrat goes right through Pennsylvania."

Obama, taking note of Clinton’s early polling lead, has lowered his expectations.

"I think we’ve trimmed that back, but our view has always been that we’re the underdogs here," Obama said. "I think she has to be heavily favored to win."

Obama and his wife, Michelle, appeared a rally at the University Pittsburgh on Monday night. Joining the Obamas was Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry.

Heinz Kerry noted that her husband took Pennsylvania in the general election. "I’m asking you to keep this streak going," she said.

One has to wonder if Heinz Kerry is once again using the status of her first husband, Senator John Heinz of Pittsburgh, who was also heir to the Heinz family fortune. Senator Heinz was a legend in Pennsylvania politics, practically canonized after his tragic 1991 death.

As the Pennsylvania contest ventured closer to its last days, Obama began to cast doubts on his opponent’s honesty and trustworthiness. In response, Clinton questioned whether Obama was "tough enough for the rigors of the Oval Office".

The campaigns kicked into high gear Monday when Clinton released a new television ad that invoked images of Osama bin Laden and various national emergencies — from Hurricane Katrina to the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is the first time a Democratic candidate has used the image of bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11, terrorist attacks.

"Harry Truman said it best, ‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.’ Who do you think has what it takes?" the ad says.

Within hours, Obama moved to counteract Clinton’s message, televising an ad that challenged Clinton’s vote authorizing the Iraqi invasion.

Obama reiterated his stand at the Pittsburgh rally.

"My job as commander in chief is to keep you safe. That will be my number one task," adding, "The war in Iraq was unwise."

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann took the opportunity on Monday to grill Clinton about the ad.

"Since Senator Max Cleland was cut down by a commercial that featured a picture of bin Laden, that has been — that tactic has been kind of a bloody shirt for many Democrats," Olbermann said. He was referring to the former Georgia senator and disabled Vietnam War veteran who lost his seat in 2002 after Republicans questioned his willingness to fight terrorism.

Clinton remained adamant that the ad was meant to keep the focus on presidential leadership, not fearmongering.

"There is nothing at all that is in any way inappropriate in saying, look, presidents face the unexpected all the time," she said. "If you were to hire the person you thought was ready on Day One to do the toughest job in the world, what would you look for? What kind of resume would you be trying to seek out?"