Rick Santorum kicked off the grand opening of his reelection campaign office here in Pittsburgh this morning. The office was filled with supporters and members of the news media like Molly Hennenberg from Fox News. As usual, Rick gave a heart felt speech that was both uplifting and to the point. Pennsylvania cannot afford to lose him in November.

I had the lucky priveledge of being able to sit right in the front row so I got some good pictures. (Alex and Mark procrastinated and got there late so they had to stand in the back)

I can’t claim to know much about Illinois politics, and I trust Alex’s take on David McSweeney, yet this article in the National Journal raised some alarm bells…

Republicans took a step toward political revival Tuesday in Illinois, where they nominated viable moderates (relatively speaking) in two key races. Performances this fall by Judy Baar Topinka and David McSweeney, while isolated to specific races, could say a lot about how Republicans fare in midterms elections. Not just in the Land of Lincoln, but in suburbs across the country.
…
Hoping to take back Crane’s seat, Republicans in the 8th District this week nominated McSweeney, a conservative by some standards, but decidedly less so than his two main primary opponents. McSweeney’s nomination suggests, anecdotally at least, that Republicans have peered into the abyss of minority status, and are trying to back away.

By choosing a relatively moderate candidate in an increasingly competitive district, some GOP strategists say, they’re better positioned to compete with Bean and take back the seat this fall. “

Can someone fill me in on why McSweeney is a moderate? What’s the basis for this? (Social issues seemed to feature big later in the article.)