Rep. Paul Kanjorski's campaign has not embraced President Obama's support for his reelection in Pa. Pa. Rep. keeps Obama endorsement quiet

President Barack Obama is throwing his support to vulnerable Pennsylvania Rep. Paul Kanjorski – not that Kanjorski’s letting anyone know about it.

On Thursday, Obama released an e-mail to supporters blaring: “I need you to support Paul Kanjorski for Congress” and urging them to go “door to door” drumming up support for Kanjorski. “You can make calls to voters in your area, and make sure they get to the polls. And you can spread the word about the importance of voting for Paul Kanjorski to your family, friends, and neighbors,” the e-mail read.


But Kanjorski’s campaign never sent out a press release advertising the endorsement, nor can any mention of the endorsement be found on Kanjorski’s campaign website.

And, in a Friday Times Leader article, Kanjorski campaign spokesman Ed Mitchell offered a cool response to the support, saying that “We were aware of the endorsement,” and that, “The congressman welcomes the endorsement of anyone who shares the same values and principles.”

Mitchell told POLITICO that the campaign had no intention of publicizing the Obama endorsement.

“We have no plans to promote it. We accept it, and we appreciate it, but [Kanjorski] gets endorsements by a lot of people,” said Mitchell, noting that the Pennsylvania Democrat had recently won the support of a raft of local labor and seniors groups.

Mitchell also noted that Kanjorski had not asked for the endorsement, saying that the White House “asked us if we [wanted] the endorsement. We said we welcomed it.”

Kanjorski is facing off against Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta in a rematch of their 2008 contest in an economically hard-hit 11th District.