Dems On The Bus: Gore, Obama Stump in Pa.

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa., Nov. 4, 2006 — -- It was a perfect fall morning here -- perfect enough for a brisk walk among the turning leaves in Kerr Park -- but this was no walk in the park: It was a sprint to the finish, three days before Election Day.

Democrats turned out to support Gov. Ed Rendell and congressional candidate Lois Murphy. But the star attraction, and probably the reason there 800 people showed up, was former Vice President Al Gore, who was arriving by bus.

Gore was also the reason the television cameras were there, including ABC News'.

Watch "World News" on Sunday for more from the campaign trail.

Campaign workers scurried around to make sure everything was media-ready. There were lawn signs, hand-held signs, signs on sticks and signs on the podium. A dog wore a "patriotic pooch" t-shirt.

Pennsylvania is one of those barely-blue states. John Kerry won it in 2004 by less that 200,000 votes. Republican Sen. Rick Santorum is running well behind his Democratic opponent Bob Casey, Jr.

But the rural sections of Pennsylvania, site of the rally, are decidedly red -- something Democrats hope to change.

"That Al Gore's coming out here to Chester County," said Democratic volunteer Sue Ladin, "will help energize the base and show that Chester County is no longer a Republican stronghold."

The Democrats sent their heavyweights to the state today, and especially to the red rural areas. A campaign bus carrying, at different times, Al Gore, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., hit eight towns.