Rendell slams Romney's Philly visit and "47%" comments

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney just wrapped up a private fund-raiser at the Union League -- his campaign declined to allow the Daily News to attend -- and is headed now to Valley Forge Military Academy & College for a public rally.

Protesters from Philly for Change and other organizations rallied outside the Union League, where Romney contributors chipped in between $25,000 and $2,500 per person. The Romney campaign hopes to raise $3.5 million to $4 million in Philly.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell held a news conference concurrent with the fund-raiser, saying the former Massachusetts governor's comments about the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay federal income tax -- secretly recorded at a Florida fund-raiser earlier this year -- provide a "chance to look deep into "Gov. Romney's soul."

Rendell said many of the people in the 47 percent are retired, disabled veterans or work jobs that don't pay enough to require federal income tax payments.

"It's a view of Gov. Romney's perception of America," Rendell said. "And it's dead wrong."

Rendell, who now serves as a political analyst for MSNBC, said it was "premature" for Romney to write off his chances of winning Pennsylvania.  Romney, who trails President Obama by an average of 8 points when seven recent polls are considered, is not running campaign ads in Pennsylvania.

"I think they should invest in Pennsylvania," Rendell said of Romney's campaign. "Right now, where they are in the polls in other battleground states they might as well come back in Pennsylvania and play. But we're ready if they do."