Senator Chris Matthews (D-PA)?

Is Hardball host Chris Matthews considering taking a shot at running against Arlen Specter in 2010? New York Sun columnist Seth Gitell comments on the possibility of a Chris Matthews campaign.

A 'Hardball' Senator? Seth Gitell, New York Sun

Rendell's primary campaign work questioned

Ed Rendell's role as a "super staffer" for Hillary 's Pennsylvania campaign has raised questions of his use of state resources for political purposes, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Stephen Miskin, press secretary for GOP House Minority Leader Sam Smith, said Rendell "became the chief fundraiser, the chief strategist, the chief scheduler, the chief political director, the chief surrogate." "It raises very strong ethical questions," said Miskin.

Rendell's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, responded to these claims. "The vast majority of the governor's campaign activity was either very early in the morning, in the evening or on weekends and did not interfere with his full time job," said Ardo. "He merely added hours to a routinely hectic schedule by getting less sleep."

Ardo said, "he flew to campaign events on commercial airlines and paid his own way, and he reimbursed the commonwealth for the use of his office phone to a far greater extent than the charges incurred." "No one got short-changed by this governor's work ethic, and no one needs to be concerned about the misuse of state resources."

On April 2 Time magazine suggested that Rendell requested a memo for the Clinton campaign from a top state staffer.

From Time: "Then comes a call to Sandi Vito, the state's acting secretary of labor. 'Could you do a quick, down-and-dirty memo for me on (the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program) for Mrs. Clinton?' Rendell wants to know. 'On your own time,' he adds. Of course."

Breaking: Hillary Raises $10 Million After PA Victory

From the AP:

"Hillary Rodham Clinton raised $10 million in the 24 hours after winning the Pennsylvania primary, aided by contributions from 80,000 new donors, her campaign said Thursday.

The $10 million came from a total of 100,000 donors, spokesman Mo Elleithee said.

Clinton, who was strapped for cash going into Tuesday's contest against Barack Obama, started making fundraising pleas as soon as the race was called. She told supporters during her nationally televised victory speech to go to her Web site to send money."

Residents in Schuylkill County Disapprove of Massive Cargo Airport

The Pottsville Republican reports that a majority of residents in North and East Union townships do not approve the proposed cargo airport in northern Schuykill County. The airport would also cover parts of Luzerne County south of Hazleton and parts of Carbon County.

A paper ballot poll on Tuesday showed that 162 people oppose the airport, while 59 support the proposed project.

Gladstone Partners is behind the economically and ecologically catastrophic project. Once constructed, the airport would be the size of JFK and Newark airports combined. This means that the seventh largest airport in the world would be located in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

How did Hillary pull it off?

Southwestern and Northeastern Pennsylvania guaranteed Hillary a victory on Tuesday. According to the Scranton Times-Tribune, she had 90,783 votes from the Northeast and 106,062 from suburban Pittsburgh. These votes accounted for 95% of her margin. Of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, Obama only won Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Dauphin, Lancaster, Centre, and Union counties.

Obama did not dominate in Philadelphia and its suburbs. He lost Bucks County by a 2-1 ratio and Montgomery County by a narrow margin. Overall, he won Philadelphia by 130,000 votes. G. Terry Madonna, a political professor at Franklin and Marshall, said Obama "underperformed in the areas of the state he needed to win."

In the Inquirer today, Thomas Fitzgerald writes that "Obama needed to offset Clinton's strength elsewhere by rolling up big margins in the city and carrying the suburbs - homes to large numbers of the African American, affluent and college-educted Democratic voters who coalesced behind Obama elsewhere."

Ed Rendell attributes Obama's win in Delaware County to its "inner-ring suburbs...(and) significant number of African Americans who voted for a great African-American candidate." Rendell said, "If you're a Democrat in Chester you're a liberal, [or] if anything else a Republican or independent. It has the most liberal of all Democrats."

Obama won in the Main Line communities of Lower Merion, Radnor and Tredyffrin, as well as in Rose Valley and Doylestown. But he lost in the Newtown townships (both the one in Delaware County and the one in Bucks County), and also in Upper and Lower Makefield.

Clinton, meantime, racked up solid majorities in many of the classic, post-World War II suburbs, including Bensalem, Bristol Township, Warminster and Warrington, Upper and Lower Southampton, and Springfield (Delaware County).

In his column today, David Rubin speculates why Obama could have lost Montgomery. Many voters expressed their concern over Obama's stance on Israel. One voter recalled a recent conversation with a woman to Rubin, saying "She was concerned Obama would not protect Israel. I don't know what he could do to assuage that concern, as he has said he would support Israel, is a friend of Israel. I guess it is not enough."

In the Lehigh Valley, meanwhile, Hillary took every city but Easton. Lehigh Valley Democrats gave her 61% of the vote. "2.2 million votes later, small shift for Clinton" The Morning Call.

LIVE BLOGGING

(6:21): EXIT POLL: Clinton 52 Obama 48
(6:22): MSNBC Exit Poll: Clinton 48 Obama 43
(7:12): From Drudge Report:
Women
Clinton 55%
Obama 44

Men
Clinton 47%
Obama 53

Whites
Clinton 60%
Obama 40

Blacks
Clinton 8%
Obama 92

(7:15): From ABC News
"Despite all the down-to-the-wire campaigning, preliminary exit poll results indicate that nearly eight in 10 Pennsylvania voters made up their minds at least a week ago, and six in 10 decided on their candidate more than a month ago -- a higher number of early deciders than the norm in Democratic primaries to date."

(7:51): From the Morning Call:

"Women and older voters came out in force Tuesday in Pennsylvania's presidential primary, encouraging signs for Hillary Rodham Clinton as she sought a win to sustain her campaign.

Both groups have tended to support Clinton in previous states, and she needed their support once again. Pennsylvania was a must-win state for Clinton as she tries to overcome rival Barack Obama's lead in the race.

Should she lose, it would be a fatal blow to her candidacy -- a defeat so unexpected that it would sap her arguments to remain in the race. It would be the dawn of a Democratic era minus the Clintons as the dominant force."

(9:20): HILLARY WINS PENNSYLVANIA
12% Reporting: Clinton 53 Obama 47

(9:32): The Politico provides a state map that reports primary results from each county.

(9:34): Surprise: Obama takes early lead in Allegheny County with 57% against Clinton's 43%.

(10:03): Clinton is now leading in Allegheny 56% to Obama's 44%.

(10:05): Chester and Montgomery Counties still not reporting. Delaware County: Clinton - 52% Obama - 48%; Philadelphia County: Clinton - 39% Obama - 61%; Bucks County: Clinton - 66% Obama - 33%

PA Voter Registration: Key Counties

PHILADELPHIA AREA

Bucks: 12,644 switched to Democrat; 19,713 new Democrats

Chester: 11,526 switched to Democrat; 17,934 new Democrats

Delaware: 13,969 switched to Democrat; 23,247 new Democrats

Montgomery: 18,648 switched to Democrat; 29,717 new Democrats

Philadelphia: 17,183 switched to Democrat; 52,798 new Democrats

PITTSBURGH:

Allegheny County: 13,439 switched to Democrat; 28,451 new Democrats

View entire Pennsylvania voter registration map at the Politico.