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PA GOP chairman claims presidential race tied in state

We begin today's post with a caveat: Rob Gleason, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, is really excited about a new poll. He just hasn't shown it to any of the reporters yet.

We begin today's post with a caveat: Rob Gleason, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, is really excited about a new poll.  He just hasn't shown it to any of the reporters yet.

Gleason, who has been eager to keep Pennsylvania as a swing state in the 2012 presidential election, says a poll conducted by Susquehanna Polling from Saturday to Monday of 800 likely voters in Pennsylvania puts the race between President Obama and Republican Nominee Mitt Romney at a statistical tie here.  The race breaks at 48-47 percent, giving Obama just a one-point lead, well within the 3.4 percent margin of error.

Gleason said he shared the poll Wednesday with the Romney campaign and predicted "a lot of activity by the Romney campaign in the next couple of days" in Pennsylvania.

"There will be TV commercials going up soon," Gleason said. "I can say that for sure. I'm not sure what the volume will be."

Gleason, apparently sensing some skepticism from reporters who have not seen the poll, added "I would not try to B.S. you on this."

Most polls have shown Obama holding a lead in Pennsylvania.  A recent Philadelphia Inquirer poll put that lead at 11 percentage points, a notion Gleason dismissed as "ridiculous."

The Romney campaign in Pennsylvania immediately touted the poll. A spokeswoman said she had to check about Gleason's claim that television ads are on the horizon.

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party quickly responded to Gleason's claims about Romney commercials here, saying via email: " We always expected Romney and his special interest allies to make a strong play for the state in the final weeks."