Kennedy stumps for Klink

Ron Klink's U.S. Senate campaign lags behind his opponent's in both money and support. But yesterday he got a much-needed injection of Democratic celebrity support. Joined by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on the campaign trail in Center City yesterday, Klink, the underdog seeking to oust freshman Sen. Rick Santorum, energized a crowd of mostly union workers and senior citizens at a Democratic Unity Rally in Love Park. Klink is hoping to unseat the Republican Santorum on November 7, a task that won't be easy given that he trails Santorum in both popularity and campaign contributions. The rally honoring the Senate hopeful focused on the needs of the state's working class population. The more than 100 supporters in attendance mostly said they've turned to Klink because they feel ignored by Santorum. "My opponent is pro-life, but once they're born, OLet's starve them to death,'" Klink said, mocking Santorum's record of voting against educational initiatives such as Head Start and child health care. Throughout the rally, Klink tried to demonstrate his allegiance to the working class by attacking Santorum for voting against an increase in the minimum wage six times. "The labor movement will be dead if we don't do our job now," Klink said. Klink's brief address focused on labor movements and their right to organize, health care and children's rights. Of course, it didn't hurt Klink that one of the nation's most influential senators was joining him on stage. Kennedy addressed the supporters immediately before Klink in a 10-minute energetic plea to fellow Democrats. "I serve in the U.S. Senate," Kennedy said. "We have the most anti-worker, anti-union, anti-labor Senate that I have ever seen," he added, stressing that he believed Klink would be a beneficial presence in the Senate. "Klink will actually do things to help the working man," said Mark Copbinger, a union electrician. For Martin Berger, president of the Pennsylvania State Council of Senior Citizens, labor is not the key issue that secures his vote for Klink. Rather, he said he is concerned, like most senior citizens, about the future of social security, prescription drugs and medicare. "We have a senator now who is really carrying on a war against senior citizens," he said. But Berger was frustrated that Klink did not have time yesterday to sign a pledge -- in front of the entire crowd -- to protect the rights of senior citizens and programs like medicare, social security and prescription drugs. He signed it last year but not in front of such a large gathering. College freshman Matt Cohen was one of a few Penn students in attendance. "I was really interested in getting involved in Pennsylvania politics," said Cohen, a Long Island native, who now works for Klink's campaign. "I did some research and made a phone call to Klink's office in Philadelphia. I asked them if they needed any help and they said yes."