Jim O'Toole has the latest on Pa's battleground status, this time in a conference call with Republican leaders touting Mitt Romney's chances in the state:

"Mitt Romney is well within striking distance in Pennsylvania," Mr. Gleason said.

"We have an authentic opportunity to deliver Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes," he insisted.

Mr. Gleason argued that Mr. Romney is well positioned to appeal to suburban voters in the state's southeast, a region that was once a GOP bastion but one that has trended Democratic in recent elections.

"I don't think there is a better top of the ticket that I'd like to have," said Rep. Jim Gerlach, a GOP veteran who represents some of those suburban communities. "He's going to be able to pull a lot of soft Democrats over."

Here's more on the same subject (and Romney's chances in Michigan and Wisconsin as well) from Josh Kraushaar at National Journal.

Barack Obama was in Philly for fundraisers last night and his campaign sent actor Kal Penn to Pittsburgh to talk about the youth vote. From the P-G's Sanjena Sathian:

Health care, job creation and investment in transportation infrastructure were among the topics of discussion. Mr. Penn spoke about the benefits to young people of being able to stay on their parents' health insurance for longer, and he said his work is motivated by the possibility that a Mitt Romney administration would repeal first-term legislation. Later, Mr. Penn elaborated on the list of agenda items he thinks young people care about, citing the president's recent support for marriage equality.

But he also said the campaign faces the challenge of a population of young voters whose civic education is lacking. And the energy so abundant among young Democrats in 2008 is hard to find this time around.

"It's not 2008, and it never will be," said Grant Gittlen, the executive director of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. But in a swing state like Pennsylvania, the youth outreach effort might make up for the subdued energy, he said.

Kate Meriwether, a spokeswoman for Mr. Romney's campaign, said she expects the Republican nominee to win young voters on his platform of job creation.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has reserved $18.2 million in post-Labor Day ad time across competitive districts nationwide, reports Shira Toeplitz at Roll Call, including a chunk in Pittsburgh for the Critz/Rothfus race.

From Toeplitz:

• $1.3 million in the Pittsburgh market. This covers the state's recently redrawn, GOP-leaning 12th district. Attorney Keith Rothfus (R) faces Rep. Mark Critz (D) here.

Budget negotiators have reconvened in offices overlooking the Capitol rotunda a few hours after educators and labor leaders filled that space to protest the governor's proposals for school funding.

The crowd booed as teachers from the Ponocos and York described cuts in programming and staff in their schools. Several people wore pink t-shirts that read: “Gov. Corbett gave me a pink slip.”

“After 11 years teaching, my goal of creating a positive future for students has been cut short by a governorship that has made a policy of defunding public education,” said Ira Schneider, who said he was furloughed from his job teaching fourth grade in the York city schools. “Sadly, I’m not the only teacher who’s standing here without a job today.”

Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, said the state has more money that Gov. Tom Corbett could have proposed spending on public education.

“The fact is he didn’t have to do this,” Kortz said. "He wanted to do this."

Opponents of the governor’s proposal say it would cut funding for public schools by discontinuing a $100 million program that districts use to help pay for full-day kindergarten. Since the current funding for that program was technically part of the previous year's budget, the administration argues it isn't proposing a cut. The Senate recommended appropriating $50 million for the program, and the House voted to appropriate $100 million, though some of that money would come from other education spending. 

Tim Eller, a spokesman for the Department of Education, said the governor has proposed increasing state funding for education from $9.05 billion this year to $9.39 billion next year, after years in which the state appropriation dropped because of an influx of federal stimulus money.

"To say the governor has cut funding to education is an inaccurate statement," he said. "What I would say is the federal government's stimulus money ran out. That's where the loss of money into education has come from."

"Their frustration is misdirected at the governor," he said.

After the rally, Gerald Pegg, a science teacher from Laurel Highlands High School, said he and colleagues met at 6 a.m. to ride a bus to Harrisburg. He said reductions in funding have jeopardized programs in his school that provide a safety net for disadvantaged kids and allow high-performing ones to take college-level courses.

"We all support our students, and these cuts are definitely hurting the programs that are best suited to help our students," he said.

Top Steelers leaders remain in the Barack Obama camp.

Former team chairman Dan Rooney is expected to resign as ambassador to Ireland at some point this year and return to the States to campaign for Obama as he did in 2008. Mike Tomlin -- who became emotional upon talking to the nation's first African-American president after the team's 2009 Super Bowl win -- is also a supporter.

FEC records show both men and their wives last year gave the Obama campaign the full $5,000 allowed under campaign finance law. An Open Secrets search shows Rooney and Tomlin also gave $30,000 each to the Democratic National Committee in November.