Vulnerable Dems Absent From Obama Speech
As Pres. Obama makes his latest health care pitch, several Dems who will have to answer for the legislation didn't bother to join him on the first leg of his trip.
Obama is in Glenside, PA, today, before traveling to the St. Louis area tomorrow. But Reps. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), Chris Carney (D-PA) and Tim Holden (D-PA), 3 incumbents who could face tough re-election fights, were not expected to attend the event, according to the WH.
Carney represents a district several hours north of the Philadelphia region, while Holden's seat is north and west of the city. They can both use geography as an excuse for skipping out, even though the House has no votes slated today, though their spokespeople did not immediately return calls for comment.
Murphy, on the other hand, is handing out a $300K grant for first responders in his Bucks Co. district, an event that has been in the works for weeks. What's more, a local medic was killed late Sunday night in Bensalem Township.
Still, Obama had plenty of other fans at Arcadia Univ., where he delivered his defense of health care reform. Obama even managed to bring together bitter rivals Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), who are battling in a Dem primary over Specter's SEN seat.
GOPers who are keeping an eye on Dems, optimistic they will be able to use health care as a cudgel against the majority in Nov., will also take note of attendence at Obama's stop in the St. Louis area tomorrow.
The party is targeting Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO), whose district takes in an area south of the city along the Mississippi River. And Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL), who represents the district just across the river in the neighboring state, is one of the key Dems who voted for the Stupak amendment and may be willing to oppose the Senate version of the legislation without stronger anti-abortion language.
Meanwhile, Obama will hold a fundraiser for Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) while he's in town. McCaskill, a close ally of the WH, is willing to associate herself with Obama, and the GOP will suggest the same about Sec/State Robin Carnahan (D).
Carnahan raised money with VP Joe Biden in Oct. and with Pres. Obama during a visit last spring, and she will benefit from Obama's visit this time. The first $4,800 from each donation will go to McCaskill's campaign, but the rest of the money will be funneled to the DSCC, which sees the race between Carnahan and Rep. Roy Blunt (R) as a top pickup opportunity this year.