The endorsement battle in the PA18 GOP primary continues: today, incumbent Rep. Tim Murphy picked up the nod from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in his race against challenger Evan Feinberg.

From the Murphy campaign:

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue stated his endorsement letter, “At no other time in our history has it been more critical that Members of Congress provide leadership that protects and advances of the interests of the business community.” Donohue continued, “We believe that your re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives will help produce sustained economic growth, help create more jobs, and get our country back on track”

. . . Tim Murphy said, “I’m proud to work side-by-side with the Chamber advancing policies on behalf of our nation’s job creators. As a former business owner myself, I am honored to be endorsed by the U.S. Chamber and will continue working to keep pro-business policies that promise greater economic growth and more jobs on the forefront of the legislative agenda in Congress.”

Feinberg responded:

"It sure is strange when Big Business and Big Labor find a candidate they both love. I'm not sure which corporate welfare vote the Chamber liked the most: was it the bailout for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? The auto-bailout? Or maybe it was his vote to give billions to Solyndra and other fledgling green-energy companies? I am surprised, though, that the Chamber didn't find his job-killing card check vote objectionable."

Full Murphy statement after the jump:

Photo: Bill Schwartz/Gettysburg Times

In his return to Pennsylvania while Mitt Romney is winning states and delegates, Rick Santorum is trying "to shift tactical and thematic perceptions of the Republican presidential nomination battle," write the P-G's Jim O'Toole and Karen Langley today.

Pa's April 24 primary offers a hefty 72 delegates but they're uncommitted -- even if Santorum wins his former state he'll have to see who wins the delegate races in the state's 18 congressional districts before knowing who the delegates will be. Some are Ron Paul supporters, some establishment names tied to Romney (like Allegheny County's GOP chair Jim Roddey) and others party officials from the "T" more sympathetic to the former senator.

For the first time we're getting indications that the Santorum team is reaching out to delegates in Pennsylvania, but in murky fashion. From the NYT's Kit Seelye:

By coming here Tuesday, Mr. Santorum could focus on trying to trying to persuade some of those uncommitted delegates to commit to his side.

“This will give him a chance to sit down around the table and say, ‘Let’s go through the list of who we’ve got lined up and who we have to go back to and revisit and work on,’ “ said one person close to the Santorum campaign who spoke on the condition that he not be identified. “There will be assignments from tonight, ‘Go back to visit with people, talk to your guys,’ and Rick will be reaching out to folks.”

Here we go again: the Legislative Reapportionment Commission has scheduled another meeting to unveil new maps, after a truncated meeting last month and one set for early March that was cancelled before it began.

No press release from the commission officials yet, but House Republican spokesman Steve Miskin tweeted this afternoon that commission chairman Stephen McEwen, a retired judge, has scheduled that meeting for April 12 at 1 p.m.

"Vote on maps soon," he concluded the post.

Top state lawmakers have been struggling for nearly two months to revise the legislative boundaries they approved last year, which were rejected by the state Supreme Court in January.

The new maps will not go into effect until the next legislative cycle, and candidates this year are running in the districts set during the 2001 process.

UPDATE, 4:50 p.m. - Here's a link to McEwen's letter proposing an April 12 meeting, via Pennsylvania Independent.

Befitting his giant financial advantage over GOP primary rival Evan Feinberg, incumbent US Rep. Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair is set to go on TV for the first time today with a spot regarding health care reform.

Proxies have already been on air both for and against Murphy but this is the first time either campaign will have advertised on TV. We're told by a source outside the campaign that it's a cable-only buy on GOP-friendly Fox. We'll post a copy as soon as we can. (UPDATE: It's below.)

At the end of the year Murphy reported more than $1 million in cash to Feinberg's $40,000. Democrat Larry Maggi is unopposed for the 18th District Democratic nod.