From Jeremy Roebuck at the Inquirer:

Mitt Romney told donors at a Philadelphia fund-raiser today it would "shock people" if he took Pennsylvania, but later declared he would win the state at a larger suburban rally for the Republican presidential candidate.

The different assessments come at a time when polls show President Obama pulling ahead by double digits over Romney Pennsylvania, a state whose 20 electoral votes were once considered to be up for grabs.

Romney seemed to concede the challenge at a fund-raiser this morning at the Union League in Philadelphia, where about 200 donors paid up to $50,000 to attend.

"We really would shock people if early in the evening of Nov. 6 it looked like Pennsylvania was going to come our way and actually did come our way," Romney said.

He was more optimistic before an animated crowd of suburban Philadelphia Republicans at the Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne.

"We're going to take Pennsylvania," he promised.

Things keep on getting tighter in Pa's US Senate race.

In a preview of Sunday's Morning Call/Muhlenberg poll, Colby Itkowitz writes Republican Tom Smith is now within 8 points of Bob Casey:

Perhaps more fascinating is how much Republican Senate candidate Tom Smith has cut into Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's lead. As reported this week, polls are showing the race tightening and its suddenly getting some national attention. Just 10 days ago, the Morning Call/Muhlenberg poll showed Casey up by 12 points over Smith, 45 percent to 33 percent.

Now Smith trails Casey by just 8 points, 44 percent to 36 percent.

ICYMI:

Republicans running in two congressional races on the outskirts of Pittsburgh hammered Obama administration policies at a forum in Greensburg Thursday, while their Democratic opponents called for more bipartisanship in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and fellow Republican Keith Rothfus, who is challenging in the 12th District, repeatedly criticized Mr. Obama's health care legislation and regulatory policies affecting the coal industry. Mr. Rothfus was particularly harsh on the president, showing he won't take a moderate path to the Nov. 6 election.

"I'm concerned about the direction Mr. Obama and his big government advocates are taking this country," the Sewickley attorney told about 100 people at a breakfast hosted by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce. "Instead of growing jobs he's growing government. With a bias towards government that he has, is it any wonder he said you didn't build your business?"

His Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Critz of Johnstown, showed his conservative stripes as well, noting he has fought Environmental Protection Agency policies on coal production, supports natural gas exploration and would have voted against the full "Obamacare" bill, even if he supports its planks extending coverage for young people, those with preexisting conditions or for prescription drug coverage.

"This is where we get to the core of why Congress is looked upon so poorly," said Mr. Critz, who first won a 2010 special election to replace his late boss, John Murtha. "We've got to work this out together. We have to come to the table with not a Democratic or Republican solution, but a solution that's best for our country. An American solution. That's what I support."

County exec Rich Fitzgerald is going ahead with his plan to issue community college/nursing home voter IDs, with the first batch coming available Monday night at the CCAC branch in Homewood, from 5-7 p.m.. It's at 701 North Homewood Ave.

The move comes as Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson has moved away from initial comments signaling he would issue an injunction to block the law -- rather, as Laura Olson writes, he's looking at a way to make provisional ballots for those without ID easier to cast. Here's the story Karen Langley and I did last month musing on whether provisionals would become the battlefield for this law.

He has until Tuesday to rule, but voter ID opponents have to be frustrated that the end game isn't working out the way they hoped.