McCain, Ridge to Make Joint State Tour
According to The Morning Call, Republican presidential candidate John McCain is scheduled to return to Pennsylvania Monday for a two-day swing through the western and central parts of the state, this time with former Gov. Tom Ridge at his side.
The tour will kick off in Erie and head to Harrisburg. Details are still sketchy, but McCain is scheduled to visit York and Lancaster on Tuesday.
McCain has visited the state more than a half-dozen times since the general election campaign began -- three times as often as Democratic rival Barack Obama -- but next week's trip will pair the Arizona senator with Ridge for the first time in months.
The joint appearance of the two close friends is sure to refresh speculation that the former secretary of Homeland Security is among those being considered as McCain's running mate.
''Gov. Ridge is a trusted voice in the state, and his guidance will be invaluable as John McCain continues to engage Pennsylvania families on his plans to provide relief at the pump and get our economy moving again,'' said McCain's Pennsylvania spokesman, Paul Lindsay.
He declined to say whether Ridge is on McCain's vice presidential short list.
The trip also is designed to more formally introduce McCain to voters in central and northwestern Pennsylvania, regions largely ignored so far by the candidate but considered crucial to his chances of carrying the state.
Pennsylvania's GOP has been pushing the campaign to focus more heavily on those regions, stressing the importance of driving up McCain's margin of victory in traditionally Republican strongholds. So far, McCain's visits have concentrated mainly on southeastern Pennsylvania.
The most recent Quinnipiac University poll found Obama leading by 16 points in Philadelphia and its neighboring counties. McCain's campaign thinks he must remain competitive there to have a chance of winning the state.