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Gov. Rendell warmed up a crowd at a Hillary Clinton rally at Temple just now, saying the 1990s were pretty good to Philadelphia. He mentioned Clinton administration help that enabled Philadelphia to build buildings, redevelop the navy yard, ,build the Constitution Center and put 1,000 new police on the streets.

"There has been a lot of 1990s bashing in this campaign," Rendell said. "Well, the 1990s was a good time for Philadelphia thanks to Bill and Hillary Clinton."

He introduced Mayor Nutter as the man who "has the chance to become the second best mayor in Philadelphia history.

Hillary also mentioned the Obama adviser who was caught out telling the Canadian government that his anti-NAFTA rhetoric in Ohio was no big deal.

"I've got to tell you: there's a big difference between talk and action. But I tell you if you are going ton talk you ought to mean what you say."

Hillary just landed another punch, saying that Obama apparently does not really mean his promise to get the troops out of Iraq.

"My opponent said he'll have them (troops) all out in 16 months, and then one of his foreign policy advisers says to the foreign press, 'Don't pay attention. That's just talk for the campaign.'"

It was a reference to a recent days' flap in which Samantha Powers, an Obama adviser, telling the Scottsman newspaper that candidates would not be bound by their campaign rhetoric in dealing with the Iraq war as president.
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Hillary just landed another punch, saying that Obama apparently does not really mean his promise to get the troops out of Iraq.

"My opponent said he'll have them (troops) all out in 16 months, and then one of his foreign policy advisers says to the foreign press, 'Don't pay attention. That's just talk for the campaign.'"

It was a reference to a recent days' flap in which Samantha Powers, an Obama adviser, telling the Scottsman newspaper that candidates would not be bound by their campaign rhetoric in dealing with the Iraq war as president.
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She said that Obama is a hypocrite for vistiging a company in Fairless Hills to talk about energy independence because he voted in 2005 for the Bush energy bill, which gave tax breaks to oil companies.

"When he had a chance to say no to Dick Cheney and the oil companies, he voted yes," Clinton said. "We're going to have to fight to make the changes against the special interests...I said no. He said yes."

Hillary has not ripped Obama yet, she's just giving her standard stump speech so far, a well-received populist-tinged speech about ending tax breaks for the special interests, "taking back that money to put it to work for you." She got a huge cheers for promises to end No Child Left Behind and to invest in rebuilding infrastructure.

Hillary Clinton looked at the beautiful ceiling of the Forum, an art deco era auditorium here in Harrisburg, and found a metaphor for the campaign.

The ceiling is a map of the ancients' view of the constellations..

"For millennia men and women have looked skyward to find vision," Clinton said. "But it’s also important to keep your feet firmly on the ground, in the here and now. There’s no contradiction in those things…." It was a reference of course to Barack Obama, the candidate of hope and vision.

“I think you heard everything you needed to hear from Mayor Reed," Clinton said, bringing down the house.

"I am so grateful for the mayor’s endorsement and the way he laid it out because obviously he has been working so hard on behalf of this city. And I appreciate what he had to say about experience, because I imagine he feels he has a little bit more grasp what he’s supposed to do now than when he started. That’s the way it’s supposed to work in life."

9 minutes 45 seconds. a long introduction...of Ed Rendell.
Did Live From imagine this or was Hillary Cliniton edging closer to Mayor Reed.

Gov Rendell "The Clinton hcampaign runs on a tight schedule - and it says the mayor and governor have a total of 5 minutes..." The crowd laughed. Then Rendell softened the gibe. "I want to ask Sen Clinton a quesiton: have we ever had a mayor on the ticket as vice president?"

The crowd cheered.

Steven Reed, Harrisburg's long-serving mayor, is speaking at the rally now. He has a beautiful, orotund voice and sounds like one of those old time ringside boxing announcers.

"Hello America, from Harrisburg," he said, drawing out the town's syllables. To the audience: "You honor America and our democracy by your presence."

Now he seems to be giving Hillary Clinton's stump speech for her, about the importance of experience. And is going on....
"Give her the mike!" shouted a woman from the floor. Obviously an experienced Harrisb urg voter.

The Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign signaled that she may criticize Obama as all-words-no-action in today's speech, centering on Iraq withdrawal and alternative energy issues. This would be a marked contrast to yesterday's tiptoe through the nostalgia in Scranton, PA, her dad's ancestral home (well, besides Wales.)

Stay tuned.

Debbie Scudder of Cumberland County came to the Forum with her two sons, surrounded by Hillary signs and AFSCME government workers in green t-shirts. She was curious to hear the former first lady but is locked in for Obama.

"He just has so much passion and excitement," she told Angela Couloumbis, my colleague. "And he projects in a way that's presidential." She has been for him from the start.

Waiting for Hillary - they are using the Rocky theme to fire up the crowd in the Forum downtown. There ought to be a law against that. Cliche Violation in the 1st Degree.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was telling the crowd about her father, Hugh, who graduated high school in Scranton in 1931 and went to play football at Penn State. "Joe Pa!" someone yelled from the cheap seats, referring to coach-for-life Joe Paterno.

Clinton laughed. "I think Joe was interning at the time," she said. "I think Joe will always be there." That got a cheer.

Hillary is here,with Gov. Rendell, and the ovation has continued for a good five minutes.