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56-year-old Joseph Harris leans back in his cab while driving through the streets of Philadelphia. The life-long Pennsylvanian says he cannot wait to vote on Tuesday.
AX: "I'm a Republican and I'm gonna give Bush and the White House a big surprise come Tuesday."
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He plans to vote for Democratic State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. Harris says Casey shares his views on the war in Iraq.
AX: "We've been in Iraq too long, we need to get outta there and we don't belong. I never believed we should've been in there. I'm a Vietnam veteran and I seen it happen in Vietnam."
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Rick Santorum's ardent support of the Iraq war has driven many voters to the Democratic camp. In the hotly contested area of South East Pennsylvania, the Senator's close alignment with the President has become a liability. Forty-one year-old Anthony Mainor says Santorum is not independent enough.
AX: "He seems like a follower, like a yes-man. Stand-up and have ideas of your own."
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Twenty-three miles from Philadelphia in the town of Bluebell, campaign signs for the Republican Senator line the streets. Here, Kathy Maher, a 64-year-old Santorum campaign volunteer, warns conservative voters not to be swayed by Casey's pro-life position.
AX: "He's supported by NARAL….and he has stated that he is not interested in putting pro-life justices on the Supreme Court."
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Over the last few weeks, polls have shown Casey leading by up to 15 percentage points. David Stone served as communications director to the late Governor ROBERT Casey, the candidate's father. He says the poll numbers reflect disillusionment with the direction of the country.
AX: "We're at a moment in our country where the people who believe things are on the wrong track greatly outnumber those who think things are going well. And at that moment a) if you're an incumbent, you're in trouble, and b) if you're like Rick Santorum who has really personified Republican leadership that has failed on so many fronts, you're really gonna be in trouble."
AMBI: (from ad) Soft music and Casey laying out his plan while in front of his house.
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Some say Casey's stances are too vague…a criticism he tries to address in his latest ads.
AMBI: (from ad)
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Virginia Davis, the Press Secretary for the Santorum campaign, concedes that the Iraq war has hurt the GOP. But she argues that the Democrats' failure to come up with a viable alternative has left an opening for the incumbent.
AX: He's been out on the ground feeling the energy and the enthusiasm as the Senator's traveling and it's not reflected in the poll numbers.
AMBI: Santorum campaign volunteer making phone call. "Hello…."
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The Santorum campaign has been scrambling to boost voter turn-out by using phone banks and going door to door as part of a 72 hour program. Davis says she's confident the massive effort will get the Senator elected for the third time.
AMBI: Thank you. This call was sponsored by the Santorum 2006 campaign."
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Rick Santorum has raised 22 million dollars for his campaign compared to Casey's 16 million. And the Senator has spent a bulk of the money on tv ads. David Stone says Santorum's monetary advantage hasn't helped him at all.
AX: "You have an incumbent who spent 20 million dollars on tv and can't get his re-elect numbers above forty."
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Santorum is known to be a tough campaigner…Recently, the Senator started running an ad that questions Casey's competence on national security issues.
AMBI: (from ad) missile shooting up, dramatic voice saying he opposes our missile defense program.
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Pennsylvania has voted Democratic in the last two Presidential elections and Republican in the last two Senate races. Rick Santorum is hoping this tradition holds. As the campaign enters its final hours, both candidates are trying to tap into their home-base: Casey in Scranton, and Santorum in Pittsburgh. Katia Schonenberg, Columbia Radio News.