Primary Campaigns Come To Pennsylvania

Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are in Pennsylvania, wooing Republican voters in anticipation of the April 24 primary election.

Romney opened an office in Harrisburg, and Santorum opened offices in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

Recent polls show Romney leading here and most analysts agree that Santorum needs to win his home state to stay in the game. While the two Republican front-runners battle it out locally, Newt Gingrich is spending his time in Delaware. 

Meanwhile, Democrats expect to open four new field offices around the state next week — in Reading, South Philadelphia, Westmoreland and Norristown.

The closest office to Bucks County is in Norristown, where the Obama campaign is busy setting up shop in the former Red Zone Cafe at 1729 Markley Street, across from the old Logan Square shopping center. The new Organizing for America outpost invites the public to a kick-off party on Wednesday, April 11, from 6-8 p.m. 

About the same time the campaigns rolled into town, the popular NPR radio broadcast This American Life devoted this week's broadcast to campaign finance and the incredible power and sway money holds in our political system.

The episode, titled "Take the Money and Run for Office," takes both sides to task and even conducts a lively interview with campaign finance reformers Senator John McCain and former Senator Russ Feingold.

Listen to a podcast of the show or download it directly from This American Life's website.