Romney makes late pushes in battleground states

MORRISVILLE, Pa. -- Republican Mitt Romney has less than 36 hours left to make his case to voters as to why they should fire President Obama as national polls continue to show the race as a dead heat.

A Sunday evening trip to Pennsylvania, the first time the campaign has stopped there in weeks, was part of a last-minute push to win the state that hasn't voted for a Republican since 1988.

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"This audience and your voices are being heard all over the nation," Romney said to sea of people who waited several hours to hear him speak. "They're being heard in my heart. The people of America understand we're taking back the White House, because we're going to win Pennsylvania," he said.

Romney adviser Kevin Madden said the last 48 hours of the campaign was "the perfect time" to go to the state where they do not have the option to vote early.

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"We've seen that state just get closer and closer and closer. ... We're essentially tied," he said. "We're overperforming in many of these critical areas of the state, like the Philadelphia suburbs, areas like Scranton, southwest Pennsylvania."

A Tribune-Review/Susquehanna poll released Saturday showed Romney and Obama tied 47%-47%.

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The event began more than an hour late after a travel delay in Cleveland, causing those at the rally to have to wait several hours to see Romney after the sun had gone down. This led to a commotion near the press area when a small group of people tried to leave the rally though a secure perimeter established by the Secret Service. Some of the attendees complained that they were cold and felt trapped; with the aid of Romney advance staff and the Secret Service, they were redirected to usable exits.

Throughout the weekend, Romney stopped in eight battleground states where he touted his ability to reach across the aisle and pledged to work closely with Democrats if he is elected. Crowds ranging from 2,000 to more than 17,000 crowded into airplane hangars, amphitheaters, factories and warehouses to hear Romney's message of "real change."

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"Now on Tuesday, the choice of the American people could lead to one of two very different destinations," Romney told a rally in Cleveland. "If the president were to be re-elected he would, it's possible but not likely, if he were to be re-elected, he will still be unable to work with people in Congress."

He also stressed the importance of turnout, telling supporters inside the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines to get "everyone we know" to the polls.

"Gotta get that done!" Romney said as the crowd of 4,440 enthusiastic supporters cheered and applauded. "This is a huge; this is a huge turnout, and what makes this rally and all your work that much more inspiring is because you're doing it because you care about America."

This could be particularly important in Iowa or Romney. A new Des Moines Register poll released Saturday gave Obama a 5-percentage-point lead - 47% to 42%. It was Romney's second rally in Iowa in two days.

Iowa, like several swing states, has seen its economy improve over the last four years - a trend that Obama will likely point out during his final rally in the state Monday.

But Romney surrogate, Gov. Terry Branstad, said the improvement had nothing to do with the president during his remarks at the rally. "If Obama wants to take credit for the economy let him take credit for it in Illinois - but not Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio - the Republican governors are leading the way," Branstad said.

With an eye toward undecided voters - women and independents in particular - Romney is vowing to work closely with "good Democrats" if elected. The pledge of bipartisan cooperation fueled Obama's candidacy four years ago. But for Romney, the bipartisan appeal became the focus of his campaign in recent weeks.

"On Nov. 6 we're going to come together for a better future. On Nov. 7, we'll get to work," Romney said in Iowa. "You reach across the street to that neighbor with the other yard sign. And I'll reach across the aisle to people in the other party, people in good faith, because this time demands bringing America together."

His campaign would not say whether Romney's transition team, which has already begun to craft legislation designed for release on his first day in office, has reached out to Democrats on Capitol Hill.

"I don't think there's been any outreach," Madden said aboard Romney's campaign plane Sunday. "Once we win, I think the governor is going to do his best to work with as many folks as possible."

USA Today