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Tracking U.S. politics

November 4th, 2008

Philadelphia Phillies’ Rollins bats for Obama

Posted by: Christopher Wilson

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins, whose team won the baseball World Series last week, is hoping for a victory from Barack Obama on Tuesday.

Rollins, whose team beat the Tampa Bay Rays to clinch their first series victory since 1980, introduced Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden at his final rally before election day in Philadelphia.

“Tomorrow is an opportunity to make history again. We took the curse off by winning the championship. Now it’s time to take the curse off America,” Rollins said.

“Go out there and vote Obama. Go out there and vote so that we can have the next vice president — Mr. Joe Biden, who happens to be a great Phillies fan,” said Rollins.

The Delaware senator, who was born in Pennsylvania, said his “Phillies mad” wife had stayed off the campaign trail last week to watch the World Series.

“Now it is time for the rest of us to go and bat for Joe Biden and Barack Obama,” said Jill Biden, sporting her new red Phillies baseball jacket.

Rollins also presented Biden with a jersey, which said simply: “Biden 08.”

Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.

October 30th, 2008

Biden hopes for Phillies’ good fortune in election

Posted by: Sue Pleming

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Pennsylvania native and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden hopes the Philadelphia Phillies’ baseball World Series win is a good omen for Tuesday’s presidential election.

“How about those Phillies?” Biden said at a rally in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Thursday.

The Philadelphia Phillies won baseball’s World Series on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, in a game watched by Biden’s wife, Jill, who like him is a rabid Phillies fan.

“I am on the campaign trail and she said: ‘Joe I am going to the (baseball) series,” Biden said.

Biden, who grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, said his wife appeared on a local Philadelphia radio station on Thursday and raved about the performance of Phillies pitcher Brad Ledge, who clinched the Phillies’ win by shutting down the Rays in the last inning of Wednesday’s game.

“It must have given her an idea because when I called her to say hello, she said, ‘Joe, you have to do with this campaign what Brad did that night.’ Lights out tonight, lights out …” he said.

Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage 

- Photo credit: Reuters/Bill Kostroun (Phillies’ Geoff Jenkins sprays fans with champagne after the Phillies defeated Tampa Bay to win the World Series)