Another Toomey Data Point

Further to the report here yesterday that Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania is emerging as Governor Romney's top choice as his running mate comes the news in today's Politico Playbook that Crossroads GPS, the Republican group cofounded by Karl Rove, is spending $25 million this month on a television buy that will air in "Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia." The electoral map at RealClearPolitics lists Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia as "toss-up" states, so that is understandable, but what is Crossroads doing spending money in Pennsylvania, which RealClear lists as "leans Obama," and which President Obama carried in 2008 over Senator McCain by 54% to 44%? It makes sense if Senator Toomey is the Republican vice presidential nominee and if Mr. Romney's victory plan involves claiming those 20 Pennsylvania electoral votes, which is the most electoral votes of any of the states on the Crossroads GPS list other than Florida. It's just like Romney to be coolly analytic about the campaign, thinking about it as how does he get the electoral votes he needs to win the presidency, just like he thought about the primary as how did he get the delegates needed to win the nomination.