Check Out Swanny For Gov!

Here is a You Tube link for Swann's campaign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pmgv-2CALk

Here is an article from Bloomberg.com

Ex-Steelers Swann, Harris Butt Heads in Pennsylvania Campaign

By Henry Goldman

April 10 (Bloomberg) -- Franco Harris and Lynn Swann shared Super Bowl glory four times with football's Pittsburgh Steelers. These days, as Swann runs for governor of Pennsylvania, Harris is lining up on the opposite side.
Swann, 54, whose ballet-like catches thrilled Steelers fans from 1974 to 1982, is carrying the ball for Republican leaders as an anti-tax, anti-spend, first-time candidate seeking to take over the seventh-largest U.S. state in the same year the Steelers won another championship.
Harris, 56, the former running back whose 100 career touchdowns make him Swann's peer in Pittsburgh's sports-hero pantheon, says he's going to raise money and speak at gatherings and on television for Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell, 62.
``We've always been very close,'' Franco said of Swann, a fellow member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ``But right now I feel there needs to be a change in the direction from where our national administration has taken us and where the Republicans in state government want to take us.''
In a close election Nov. 7, Harris may prove important to Rendell, especially around Pittsburgh, the state's second-largest city, said G. Terry Madonna, director of Franklin & Marshall College's Center for Politics and Public Affairs in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Like Swann, Harris is beloved in Pittsburgh. A cheering section at Steelers games dubbed itself ``Franco's Italian Army,'' a nod to his half-Italian, half-black parentage. Autographed photos of Harris's ``immaculate reception,'' a famous playoff-winning touchdown catch in 1972, typically sell for $120 to $240 on sports memorabilia Web sites.
Success Stories
Swann, a Tennessee native, and Harris, from New Jersey, both stayed in the Pittsburgh area after their playing careers. Harris found success as owner of a commercial bakery there; Swann as an ABC sportscaster. In politics, their paths diverged.
In 2004, Swann introduced President George W. Bush at Pennsylvania re-election rallies. Harris stumped for Democrat John Kerry. ``It was kind of fun competing,'' Harris said. Four years earlier, Harris and Rendell campaigned together for Al Gore and became friends, the governor said in an interview.
Harris accepts the label of ``liberal Democrat.'' Swann calls himself an ``independent Republican'' and ``principled conservative.''
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said Swann, who would be the state's first black governor, is ``one of the party's bright new stars'' and will get substantial support from Bush and other national figures. ``We intend to be very active in Pennsylvania, to help him with money, with resources, with expertise,'' Mehlman said in an interview.
As of March 27, Rendell had $15.5 million and Swann had $1.5 million, according to campaign filings.
Close Race
Rendell is vulnerable because many Pennsylvanians blame him for signing an unpopular pay raise -- since rescinded -- that state lawmakers gave themselves and other officials last year, Madonna said. Rendell's 2002 promise to reduce taxes is unfulfilled amid wrangling with a Republican-led legislature.
A Quinnipiac University poll April 5, while placing Rendell ahead 47 percent to 37 percent, also showed his job-performance rating down to 46 percent from 51 percent in February. Other polls show the race closer, and a March IssuesPA/Pew survey had Swann 6 points ahead.
Pittsburgh, a traditional Democratic stronghold, is a key battleground. ``Rendell needs Harris because he's not running as well in Pittsburgh as one would expect,'' Madonna said. Rendell must retain his black support -- at least 85 percent in 2002 -- and Harris may help, Madonna said.
`Thoughtful Guy'
Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia and an unabashed fan of the cross-state football rival Philadelphia Eagles, said Harris's backing is valuable to him ``not because he was a fabled Steeler.'' Rather, it's as a ``community leader'' and ``thoughtful guy who very much cares about issues involving education, economic development and alternative energy and things like that.''
Along with Rendell's record, Swann's qualifications are an issue. The Quinnipiac poll found 21 percent of voters said he had the right experience to be governor, 43 percent disagreed and 36 percent were undecided.
Swann, in a February interview, cited an executive background including two years chairing Big Brothers and Sisters of America and his appointment by Bush as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He also has served on three corporate boards, including Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz & Co.
Qualifications
Harris, the owner of a bakery that sells wholegrain goods to schools, hospitals and military bases, said national and state Republicans picked Swann for his name recognition and positive image, not his qualifications.
``I was never a big fan of celebrities or personalities to jump into a political race because of their name,'' he said. ``I'm never going to say someone can't do something. But if you're asking me if those things give him the experience, I would say no.''
Swann declined to discuss Harris. His press secretary, Melissa Walters, said in an e-mail, ``Mr. Harris is a good friend of Lynn Swann's. But until Mr. Harris decides to toss HIS hat into the political arena, we will not be talking about his political views.''
Opposing his old buddy ``kind of makes it tough,'' Harris said. ``But hey, I have had a lot of good friends on other football teams, and on that field they even hit you harder sometimes just because they're your friend. So I guess that's what's going to be out here in Pennsylvania this year.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Henry Goldman at City Hall at hgoldman@bloomberg.net Last Updated: April 10, 2006 00:20 EDT