Clinton Heads Back to Pennsylvania

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton makes her way to Pennsylvania today to continue her “Solutions for the American Economy Tour,” midway through Barack Obama’s six-day bus tour of that state. For weeks, Clinton has been the likely candidate to win Pennsylvania, and polls show her up by double-digits there. But one thing the Clinton campaign can’t afford to happen is a come-from-behind win by Obama, a move that would most certainly seal the deal for Obama to capture the nomination.

Clinton has campaigned in Pennsylvania over the past 2 weeks, but the intensity of that campaigning has been nothing quite like the "Iowa-style" grind where candidates spent weeks on end canvassing the state. Both time and money are a factor for Clinton’s efforts in Pennsylvania, but Clinton has pointed out several times that she will continue to push through the state until its April 22 primary.

But with growing pressure from some in the media and others in her party to drop out of the race, Clinton has employed a new strategy over the past few days in hopes of defusing that pressure. She has been using that argument as a way of rallying support from voters in states that have yet to vote.

Part of her stump speech now includes a line on how “some people” want this race to be over, and how “some people” don’t want everyone’s voices heard. The line, naturally, draws a negative reaction from the crowd, many of whom have yet to have an opportunity to cast a decisive vote in a presidential primary. Clinton hopes this argument will cast her opponents as anti-democratic and quick to discount the voices of the several million people left to vote in the upcoming 10 contests. With the nomination in flux and with Clinton trailing Obama by fewer than 150 pledged delegates, the contest will most certainly continue.

Clinton is expected to continue to make that point during her campaign stops, but she knows that only a win in Pennsylvania will help stave off further criticism for her to step aside in the race. A source close to the Clinton campaign said they feel confident in Pennsylvania, but they are faced with having to split their time between Pennsylvania and Indiana, a state where Obama currently leads in the polls.

“Pennsylvania will be a contest to watch. We have to balance that effort with campaigning in Indiana, where Obama has the lead,” said the campaign source. “Obama is clearly contesting Pennsylvania, and he should be expected to do well there. He is spending a lot of time and money in the state and now has Senator Casey stumping for him.”