Barack Obama Takes a Long Shot at Winning Over Certain Pennsylvania Voters

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Truth or Dare

Another statement by Hillary Clinton is being challenged for its truthfulness. Saturday in Oregon, Senator Clinton said that comparisons between her record against the Iraq war — and that of Barack Obama — should only go back as far as January 2005 — when Obama joined the Senate.

She told the audience, "I actually started criticizing the war in Iraq before he did."

Her campaign points to a paper statement issued January 26, 2005 in which she questions invasion troop levels. But the ABC News Web site reports Obama criticized the war eight days earlier — on January 18 — during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee session with Secretary of State Rice. Obama challenged Rice on several issues — including whether Iraqi troops would ever be able to take over, American troop levels and the lack of a withdrawal timeline.

On Target

The Obama campaign is taking a shot at what might appear to be an unlikely constituency in Pennsylvania — gun owners. The Politico reports Obama is trying to highlight his background in constitutional law and downplay his voting record of consistently supporting gun control legislation. Obama has voted for bans on semi-automatic weapons and concealed weapons, and voted for limits on handgun purchases.

Pennsylvania has one of the largest per-capita gun ownership rates in the nation. The Obama campaign Web site calls the senator a former constitutional law professor who, "greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms."

The campaign has sent an e-mail to the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs urging members to, "learn the facts" and saying Obama, "strongly supports the right and traditions of sportsmen."

Less Is More

A new poll on the economy suggests Americans say the best way for the government to fix the economy is get out of the way.

The new Rasmussen Reports survey shows 48 percent of likely voters want taxes and regulations cut. 36 percent disagree with that. 59 percent said economic growth is more important than reducing the income gap between rich and poor. 49 percent want government spending slashed. And 53 percent do not want the federal government to bail out homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages.

Turning the Other Cheek

Less than a year after three Duke University lacrosse players were exonerated on charges of raping an alleged stripper, school administrators allowed a performance of what was called the "Sex Workers Art Show." It featured prostitutes, strippers and performers who donned artificial sex organs while mocking President Bush.

A conservative group called "The Collegiate Network" has given Duke its 2008 campus outrage award for what it calls Duke's flagrant hypocrisy of allowing the on-campus performance — after criticizing the lacrosse team for inviting a stripper to its off-campus party.

— FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.