The Hill covers a visit by Rep Rahm Emmanuel to Philadelphia to campaign against Mike Fitzpatrick.

Despite the time and effort that Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) has taken to acquire credentials as one of the most independent of House Republicans, Democrats are giving him no leeway as he runs for a second term.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy campaigned together yesterday and hammered Fitzpatrick on his less- than-total opposition to Bush’s attempt to privatize Social Security.

Emanuel questioned whether voters "could rely on Fitzpatrick’s vote" not to privatize Social Security.

Oddly the campaign visit was not within the 6th District.

It also mentions two other races in the Philly suburbs.

Polling data show that GOP incumbents in Philadelphia’s suburbs could be defeated in an unfriendly Republican political environment.

A Democracy Corps poll in May showed that in the district next door to Fitzpatrick’s only 51 percent of voters said they would reelect GOP Rep. Curt Weldon, a 10th-term incumbent. Weldon will face former Navy Admiral Joe Sestak, a well-financed, if inexperienced, candidate.

GOP Rep. Jim Gerlach’s slim margins in 2002 and 2004 make him vulnerable, too. He will face Lois Murphy, whom he narrowly defeated in 2004.

"There's a high degree of voter independence and willingness to split tickets," said G. Terry Madonna, a political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

Not mentioned is the 13th District, where former Apprentice contestant Raj Bhakta is running against 1st term incumbent Allyson Schwartz. In addition to the entire campaign being taped for a reality TV show, they're also running Raj Blog.

I haven't seen any polls on the race in the 13th District. It used to be a solidly Republican district in Montgomery County, until redistricting brought in parts of Philadelphia as well as a weakening of the Republican registration majority in the eastern part of the county.

In 2004, after 14 years in the state house, Allyson Schwartz defeated local opthamologist Melissa Brown 56%-41%, after a hotly contested Republican primary. (Brown vs Hoeffel in 2002 was much closer 51/47).

Raj is pretty charismatic and personable.

If he and his campaign can get a lot of free / earned media in the expensive (and soon to be politically deluged) Philadelphia market, he might have a chance. But it's an uphill fight against a well known, moneyed incumbent.