Rendell and Casey Look to Grow Ties With Obama

"Yes We Did" was the theme of Pennsylvania Democrats' Inaugural celebration in Washington D.C. on the eve of the swearing in ceremony. Both Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Bob Casey voiced their high hopes for an Obama Administration. Gov. Rendell says Pennsylvania can claim a special role in electing Barack Obama. He says after all the resources the McCain campaign poured into the commonwealth, when it was called for Obama just after eight pm, he knew the Illinois Senator was headed to the White House. “He told me a couple weeks later that he knew at 8:06, too. So we think we were the ones that put Senator Obama over the top and we're real proud of that.” Rendell says he's hopeful that Pennsylvanians will benefit from the economic stimulus package Obama says he'll be pushing for upon being sworn in to office. Senator Casey agrees, and says the new president will have allies on Capitol Hill when that bill comes up for a vote. “I think there's a lot of unanimity across party lines to stimulate the economy. I think we'll have a lot of support for it.” Many analysts expect Casey to work closely with the Obama Administration. The two senators developed a close bond during the campaign and are said to often share a basketball court.