By David Madden

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Vice President Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia today, talking gun control at Girard College.

It will be a friendly audience for the Vice President, in that he’ll be in a roundtable discussion with local police, state prosecutors and three members of Congress — all Democrats.

So, is this meant to advance the public agenda or play to the cameras that will be there? According to Congressman Bob Brady, “It’s probably a little of both. I mean, the public is starting to sway to support background checks, multiple clips. Why would you need an automatic assault rifle?”

Brady will be one of the members of Congress to participate in the roundtable. “The President picks him (Vice President Joe Biden) for all the hard stuff. Picked him to run with the Obamacare. He got involved, as you well now, with the fiscal cliff and then gave him the assignment for the gun control piece which, as you well know, is highly controversial.”

While recent surveys show wide support for increased background checks and majorities backing a renewed ban on assault weapons, gun proponents are rallying their forces. This is seen as one method to keep the issue fresh and the pressure on.