Heard in the Hall

With the notable exception of U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, there haven't been a lot of local pols lining up to support Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid. That could change, of course, if Obama continues to challenge Hillary Clinton for front-runner status, but until now most local politicians have either backed Clinton (a la Mayor Nutter and U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwarz) or stayed on the sidelines.

But State Rep. Tony Payton, who beat the party endorsed candidate to become the youngest representative in Harrisburg, is pulling for Obama, and even went to campaign for him in New Hampshire. Still, we suspect this photo does Payton more good than Obama. How long until it's hanging on the wall of his office?

Update: As noted in the comments, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (who represents Bucks County and a pair of wards in Northeast Philadelphia) is also backing Obama.