McCain, Palin To Flood PA With Appearances Next Week

Pennsylvania will see a lot of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin next week.

The scheduling reflects McCain's tough electoral math. With some -- though by no means all -- advisers all but conceding Colorado, McCain would be forced to win a blue state in order to recoup the electoral votes. New Hampshire wouldn't give him enough, and Pennsylvania, the McCain campaign believes, is the most brittle of the remaining states. Public and private polls give Obama a double digit lead in the state, but McCain advisers believe that Obama is underperforming in the suburbs and exurban counties around Pittsburgh. Tensions between the two campaigns in the state is acute.

The Republican ticket will also spend time in Florida, Ohio and Missouri.

On Monday evening, McCain is tentatively scheduled to speak in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, which is in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market. Early the next morning, he's going to be joined by Palin in Hershey, for a rally that will saturate the Harrisburg/Lancaster and York market.  A rally with Palin in Shippensburg is scheduled for 2:15 pm on Tuesday. McCain might appear in Latrobe later that day -- and Republicans are planning for a Tuesday evening event in Quakertown, PA, which would get coverage from the Philly market. Also Tuesday, Palin will hold a rally at Penn State University in State College, PA, and on Thursday, the campaign is preparing for an event in Erie.

CBS's Scott Conroy had the first report of Palin's tour here. Meanwhile, Sen. Obama is planning a midweek campaign appearance with Bill Clinton in Orlando, Florida.