PA Small Town and Rural Leaders Reject Clinton and McCain Attacks

[Hope And Change]

PA Small Town and Rural Leaders Reject Clinton and McCain Attacks


By Caitlin Harvey - Apr 13th, 2008 at 1:42 pm EDT

Twenty-one elected officials and community leaders from small towns and rural areas throughout Pennsylvania today released an open letter asking fellow Pennsylvanians to set aside Senators Clinton and McCain’s recent attempts at political point-scoring and consider who will fight for them as President.

Read the full text of the letter below, http://pa.barackobama.com/page/s/paletter">sign on to the letter and share your story of how you've been frustrated by Washington politics.


Dear Fellow Pennsylvanian,

We live in small towns and rural areas throughout Pennsylvania and we support Barack Obama for President.

A few days ago, Sen. Obama made some comments that his opponents are now using to make him appear as if he is something he is not. Instead of speaking to us honestly about how they intend to solve the problems we are facing, they are playing the same old Washington games that accomplish nothing.

What Sen. Obama said is that over the last 25-30 years, working class people in places like Pennsylvania have been falling behind, and that politicians in Washington haven’t been looking out for them. He also said that, as a result, many people have become frustrated, angry and even bitter about all the broken promises.

He was right.

The politicians who are now saying that we shouldn’t be frustrated are the ones who are out of touch.

People in the towns and communities we live in have seen their jobs shipped overseas. We’ve seen our pensions disappear. We’ve seen our health care costs skyrocket. We’ve seen everything from the cost of gasoline to a gallon of milk go through the roof.

As our families have struggled to make ends meet and our communities fought to stay intact, how has Washington responded? By giving tax breaks to the wealthy, rewarding corporations who ship jobs overseas, and turning the levers of power over to the lobbyists and special interests.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/caitlinharvey/gGBpNz#extended">Continue reading the letter.


It’s easy to feel a little frustrated when you see these Washington politicians continue to ignore you. But it’s not the only emotion we feel. When someone comes along who is untainted by the system in Washington, who doesn’t take money from federal lobbyists or special interests and who promises that things can be different, we feel something else—hope.

That’s why we’re supporting Barack Obama. Others have come along and promised change, but failed to deliver. Sen. Obama is different than the rest. He doesn’t take money from the special interests, and he speaks honestly about the issues we are facing.

In addition to supporting his plans for jobs, health care and education, we believe that he can deliver on his promises to ensure economic opportunity for family farmers, to provide support for rural economic development, to promote renewable energy in rural America, to protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting, and to preserve open land for hunting and fishing.

Unlike his opponents who have been part of the Washington establishment for decades, Barack Obama understands the struggles we are going through. We welcomed him with open arms as he made his way through small towns and rural areas on his recent bus tour across the state. And we will work day and night from now until the primary on his behalf not only because he has heard our frustrations, but because he speaks to our hope that Washington can actually work for people like us.

Sincerely,

Ted Alter, State College

Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Bayla, Greensburg

Mayor John Brenner, York

Lloyd Casey, West Chester – President, Pennsylvania Forestry Association

Mayor John Fetterman, Braddock

Mayor Rick Gray, Lancaster

Scott Harrison, Warriors Mark

State Representative Bryan Lentz, Swarthmore

State Senator Sean Logan, Monroeville

Carl Majji, Claysville – Corporal, U.S. Army

Mayor Thomas McMahon, Reading

State Senator Bob Mellow – Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader

U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, Doylestown – U.S. Congressman (PA-08)

Perry County Commissioner Steve Naylor, New Bloomfield

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien, Dunmore

Fran Rodriquez, Lancaster

State Representative Josh Shapiro, Abington – Deputy Speaker, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Major General Walter Stewart, Berks County – Former Commander, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard

State Representative Dan Surra, St. Marys

State Representative Thomas Tangretti, Greensburg

Lackawanna County Commissioner Michael Washo, Scranton

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/caitlinharvey/gGBpNz">Link

[acrosstheuniverse]

1. wow

Let it Rise!

[SaveAmerica]

13. Yeah, let it stove!!

[Blue_Roses]

2. State College should do well for Obama

I know someone who lives there and he said Obama is slated to win there big...

[Yael]

3. Mayor Brenner recorded a robocall that was sent out across the state last night

Good to see Reading/Berks on the list. I didn't know those endorsements were out there. I was there all last week and all I saw was Ron Paul signs. Dozens and dozens and dozens of them.

[MoJoWorkin]

22. As you commented in an earlier post, Yael, things are going to get interesting in PA.

I saw a vid clip of Obama's surprise stop in Bloomington, IN on Fri,where what appeared to be a college student on the crowded street yelled out just after he had gone by him, "We've got your back here in Bloomington, Barack!" It did my heart good to hear that.

Maybe, just maybe, people are going to stand up for our guy after all. Hell knows he has been carrying the heavy load for us a while now.

[Cha]

70. Exactly, MoJo...Obama's been out there carrying

the heavy "stuff" and something like this, orchestrated by hilary, is not going to leave his back unattended.

[BumRushDaShow]

38. Funny you mention Ron Paul.

There's a Ron Paul car (covered in an ad) that is parked in a neighborhood not far from where I live and I heard a bunch of Ron Paul ads on the radio this past week basically courting the "conservative" vote. A few Ron Paul yard signs have popped up around the city too but so far, mostly on public median strips.

[Yael]

43. This is going to sound rather stupid

But I didn't think the Republicans were having a primary here this year?

Are they voting??

[BumRushDaShow]

59. Yep they are. That's why they had the registration deadlines for both parties! n/t

[evolvingsteve]

91. hhmmmmm, here's an interesting thought on Ron Paul

maybe he's the republican's version of Ralph Nader.....as in, being that he courts for the "Conservative" vote, that while we have a Huge Great momentum on the Obama camp and having people from all divides join us, that Ron Paul is doing a service for our campaign against the Republicans by taking away their support like we do already....and then, if he runs on a third party ticket in the GE, maybe he can even knock Ralph Nader out of the way...I'd be VERY happy if that were the case because Ralph does the same to us when it comes to taking our "Liberal" votes away....and further more, Obama I believe can take more of the Independent base from Ron and McCain, so with Ralph out of the way Paul will be the conservative spoiler in this election just as much Ralph had been to us Democrats!

just a thought.


:rant: :popcorn: :kick:

[crispini]

4. Weehee!

Gobama!

[Quixote1818]

5. Looks like it's Hillary and McCain who are the ones out of touch.

Not to mention the FUCKING media!!!! Fuck you FOX and CNN!

[AllentownJake]

6. Unlike

The crazy "grassroots" letter circulated by the Clintonistas there is no cover that these are people that support Obama and did so before this nonsense

[Yael]

10. Yes, but their letter contained spontaneous stickers

You know how the little people love stickers.

[AllentownJake]

18. Stickers and Pots and Pans

Seriously sometimes I think I'm watching a SNL parody or a South Park episode.

[livetohike]

7. Double Yoi!!

Mayor Fetterman of Braddock.....home of U.S. Steel's ET works where Obama visited, listened and learned from the steelworkers a couple of weeks ago.

Kudos to Sean Logan, Monroeville too. (my hometown)

[CitizenLeft]

15. cool about Monroeville and Braddock!

I spent a lot of my childhood in that area (grandparents lived there), and I have a very big soft spot for it (I'm a Clevelander). Pittsburgh has always been my second home, and I view it as a sister city.

[livetohike]

16. Hi CitizenLeft

:hi: It gets into your blood :-).

[CitizenLeft]

25. yes it does!

In fact, the house I live in is on a hill, in a steep area that reminds me of Braddock, and not far away are railroad tracks. I bought it specifically because that sound of the train whistle reminds me of the tracks at the end of Helena St.!

:hi:

[livetohike]

30. OMG! My grandparents lived on Yew Way

They were two houses from the tracks! Helena St. is closer to where my Great Aunt and Uncle lived on Fleet St. in Rankin (I think).

[Tarheel_Dem]

39. I lived there for about 4 yrs. back in the 80's, and I would love nothing

better than to be back there. As you say, it gets in your blood. I moved around a bit. From Shadyside -> Edgewood, and finally wound up in Squirrel Hill. I did a lot of shopping at Monroeville Mall. I lost contact with old friends for a while, but two friends got married a couple of years ago, and he accepted a position with a new practice in Pgh (which is her home). Both of them are good Dems, and live in Bethel Park. I can't wait to visit.

:hi:

[CitizenLeft]

42. shopped there too (at that mall) whenever we went back

...friends of the family lived in Squirrel Hill, we used to visit them.

Oddly enough, I miss those twisty-turny one-car-width streets where you'd better not drive faster than 15 mph. Funny, that, cuz I'm really a big city / suburb / gotta-go-the-highway-to-get-anywhere person.

[Tarheel_Dem]

45. I know (LMAO). Negley Ave. was adventure driving in the wintertime.

But I'd risk it anyday, just to be back there. Currently, I live in a city of just over a 100k, and I miss the big city.

[livetohike]

46. Sounds like you have the East End

covered :hi:. Pgh. doesn't get enough kudos for its great neighborhoods.

[Tarheel_Dem]

48. I loved that part of town. There was so much life & culture there.

Greetings from High Point, NC :hi:

[CitizenLeft]

41. well, hey there, neighbor!

:hi:

Fleet St. sounds awfully familiar! My grandparents are buried in Monongahela cemetery, we used to go back every year on Memorial Day until health reasons arose to stop that tradition.

I used to play on those train tracks, drove my Mom and my family crazy worrying where I was!

You've brought back great memories of that little town!

[writes3000]

8. Hot damn! This is awesome!

Surprise, surprise - polls are finding that people ARE bitter about our government.

[Why Syzygy]

88. So Obama didn't pull it out of his elite rear end? He wasn't casting aspersions on working people?

Isn't that a shocker.

[noel711]

9. People of courage and intelligence...

are true patriots,
and yes.. it shows that all rural
Pennsylvanians are NOT gun-toting,
'jebus' loving idiots.

Kick this!

[SaveAmerica]

11. I R'd it but it's so sad to see McCain and Hillary lumped together

[dansolo]

26. That is Hillary's fault

She is the one who lumped herself in with McCain.

[SaveAmerica]

27. I know, I never thought I'd see the day.

[truebrit71]

12. Excellent letter!

...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. sunavabitch.

Rational behavior breaking out at last?

[DarienComp]

17. but but but 5 mayors!!!

[AllentownJake]

19. Funny thing about that

One of those mayors was from Bethlehem...80,000 people. Not really small town but I digress.

[DarienComp]

23. what I want to know is how many of them have endorsed either Clinton or McCain?

Anyone have that information?

[AllentownJake]

49. Bethlehem Mayor

Endorsed Clinton. Just know because I live in the area

[AllentownJake]

50. Bethlehem Mayor

Endorsed Clinton. Just know because I live in the area

[Kittycat]

67. Is that a high risk area?

Too big to be a "small town", but too small to get the transitional services needed to keep the city and it's people afloat. Middle America is what comes to mind, to me. I live in one of those towns in the far, far West Chicago burbs - a healthy mix of working class/middle class with a smaller portion of Upper middle (that seems to have consumed much of the new development areas). Schools here are a huge tax burden on home owners, and most have to commute out of the community for sustainable work. There's new low-mid end retail coming up, providing the typical low-wage jobs. And with the new Wal-mart on the block - I'm sure some will lose their jobs, and go the way of wal-mart for survival.

[Genevieve]

20. I love that they put lumped Hill/McCin together!

Recommended!

[Divernan]

21. Glad to see PA legislators Logan, Tangretti & Surra standing up for Obama.

I've worked with them all and they're the good guys.

[Yael]

28. I am very surprised Mike Sturla wasn't on that list

He is a VERY vocal Obama supporter.

[CitizenLeft]

29. isn't Greensburg very conservative?

Or has it changed? I once dated a Republican whose parents live there, and you couldn't get much more to the right than this family. (what was I thinking?)

[PA Democrat]

32. Westmoreland County has a more than 60% Democratic voter registration but votes conservatively.

The county went for Bush in both 2000 and 2004. Richard Mellon Scaife has bought all the independent newspapers in the county and controls the local news. The Catholic Church has pushed the issues of abortion and gay marriage in a big way here as well.

[CitizenLeft]

44. ah...

Not "typical" Reagan Democrats, but ones who've had no alternative media. I hope this is the election tha wins them back.

[Divernan]

93. Senator Casey's endorsement of Obama will influence the PA Catholics.

[liberaldem4ever]

24. What an great letter

K & R for TRUTH :kick:

[catgirl]

31. K & R

[PA Democrat]

33. Great letter. It's good to see the names of some local politicians that

I have supported.

[Colobo]

34. That's the American people speaking! Gobama!

[rockymountaindem]

35. Note which side is using Grover Norquist quotes

and which side is actually drawing on support from people in Penn. Just a thought.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. K&R

:kick:

[stratomagi]

37. If you look at the punditry on this topic

you can even see that the media doesn't get it. On MTP all the talking heads were saying how this was bad for Obama...which is code I think for sticking your neck out and doing something against the mainstream is political suicide.

[stillcool]

40. wow...that is great...

talk about an opportunity to make your point! What a gift!

[livetohike]

47. Kick

:kick:

[ORDem]

51. Super!

:kick:

[azmouse]

52. kick

[Hope And Change]

53. Kick!

:kick:

[johnnydrama]

54. what i think

Obama's comments could have hurt him a little bit. But Hillary & McCain blew it. The press was doing their normal thing to it, they should have kept out of it. But they made stupid statements that led to Obama being able to say my opponents are out of touch, and don't thinnk people are upset in this country, and he was able to regain ground.

Like always, Hillary takes the low road. Any smart campaign would have agreed with him, but argued that her plans are better.

Her problem is, she's so far behind him in actually having a chance to win, that she has to go for the home run, and when you usually go for the home run you strike out.

[lilyannerose]

55. Bubble Politicians

It's time for them to go, America does not need anymore multi millionaires in The White House!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

56. K&R!! Way to be PA!!

:applause:

[lilyannerose]

57. Imagine This

A campaign for the people where We the People are asked to participate! Ya know, this idea may just have a set of legs.

[Politicalboi]

58. Hillary agrees with McCrazy

Wow what a surprise. Both John and Hillary really know what Obama meant. And they probably would agree but why do that when you can twist the words and make it seem bad to tell the truth. I thought I heard today on CNN that a newspaper in Scranton supports Obama. What a bunch of Judases. Hillary Get Your Gun.

[Alii]

85. PA Newspapers supporting Barack Obama...

Yes, it was the Times-Tribune in Scranton that voiced its support for Barack Obama...even after the "bitter" issue broke. Too late for Hillary, McCain had better back off before he again "misspeaks" to find himself digging even deeper into obscurity. Hillary and McCain, two peas in a pod...both very adept at misspeaks...though one is much better at downright lies.

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19480144&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=418218&rfi=6

There was also support for Obama in other newspapers in PA.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/13/111644/425/469/494812

I also think Obama gained a lot of ground in today's COMPASSION FORUM.

Still a week to go. Might Obama overtake Hillary in her "home" state?

We the people in order to have a more perfect union support Barack Obama.

[NC_Nurse]

60. Hopefully, this will be the next attack that blows up in her face.

She's really reaching for the fake outrage stuff these days.

[me b zola]

61. K&R!

:kick:

[Barack_America]

Thank you to these officials for standing up for Pennsylvanians.

:patriot:

[ooglymoogly]

62. I'll Kick and Rec. this kind of Hope and Change any ol' day of the week nt

[AnnieBW]

63. Greetings to "Steeler Nation"

From an ex-pat here in the Washington DC area!

[liberaltrucker]

64. I have a lady friend in PA who LOVES Her Highness

And has been gloating over this. I just emailed her the link to this thread.

:evilgrin:

[Cha]

71. Nothing really to gloat over unless

Scortched Earth is your bag but beware of flying Obamarangs. :evilgrin:

[liberaltrucker]

84. Incoming!!!

:rofl:

[Barb in Atl]

65. Excellent - KnR

[Scurrilous]

66. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Cha]

68. Thank you, Pennsylvanians!

The money quote..

"A few days ago, Sen. Obama made some comments that his opponents are now using to make him appear as if he is something he is not. Instead of speaking to us honestly about how they intend to solve the problems we are facing, they are playing the same old Washington games that accomplish nothing."

[Kittycat]

69. K&R For the Truth & Hope

[Yes We Did]

72. K&R You are absolutely right... McCain, Clinton. What we've already seen...

Who needs more of these Washington insiders. Anyone who can not see through this kind of cheap trick refuses to wake up and smell the coffee burnin'. Obama is the only change candidate who can get things done. Clinton and McCain will change a small bit but they are there to make sure things "Stay the Same".

[quantass]

73. k/r

[RBInMaine]

74. This should not only be robocalled, it should be blasted to EVERY local and national TV and radio

station in PA and throughout the country.

[myrna minx]

75. K&R n/t

[fascisthunter]

76. Hillary and McCain=Elitists

Obama=Populist

[guyanakoolaid]

77. Instead of accepting the honesty of Obama's words, McCain and Clinton attacked like the old-school

political hacks that they both are. Finally in this country, people are willing to step up and speak out for things like honesty and truth, and and more willing to brush aside the dishonest rhetoric that has strangled political discourse in this country.

It's working, Senator Obama, don't stop, don't apologize, the truth will send you to the White House!

K&R

[AX10]

78. They all support Obama so of course...

they are going to come out against Hillary.

[jazzjunkysue]

79. The PA people I know are sane, intelligent and have integrity.

They are not into ego or flash. They're bottom line people but the means must aggree with the ends. Hilary's not going to do as well there as she thinks.

[williesgirl]

80. Great news. Thanks for posting. With everything that IS wrong in the US, HRC and McSame have to

use bullshit to try to get ahead? We should have been talking about the Yoo memo and the NSA/CIA starting up their new eavesdropping super shit instead of this garbage. rec'd

[NJmaverick]

81. OUTSTANDING! It's always heart warming to see good people

do good things

[dchill]

82. Recommend.

and :kick:

[Lugnut]

83. K&R n/t

[Imagevision]

86. Today I finally found out what this 'bitter' comment was about, it's about Billary's desperation

about clearly seeing that she is losing with each passing day and I'm surprised she doesn't go after Obama's kindergarten comments.

[Why Syzygy]

87. Good for them! nt

[Riverman]

89. A Philly-Born Native Cheers these courageous leaders for

Setting the record straight. I was born and raised just outside Phila in a large Catholic blue-collar family, worked from the time I was 13 thru high school, college (at times two jobs) and graduate school. It is another of the Big Lies of the Clintons to somehow suggest that Hilary is the candidate of the blue collar, working class Pennsylvanians! What BS! Billy Clinton took hundreds of thousands from Columbia to promote the Free Trade Agreement while Hilary ran opposed to it and her campaign advisor, Mark Penn, was also taking money from Columbia to promote that Free Trade Agreement. What Hypocrits! The blue-collar people I grew up with can see bullshitters a mile away. I would not be surprised to see Obama pull off a campaign ending knock-out of the Clintons in my home state. I pray that he does. I am so tired of these lying sacks of crap!

[Hope And Change]

90. Kick!

:kick:

[Stockholm]

92. I'm going to tell you something really outrageous. I'm going to tell you the truth.

Which film folks?

Bill would be proud!!!

:popcorn:

[wolfgirl]

94. Network? eom

[Stockholm]

101. Nope

Primary Colors with Travolta!

[chill_wind]

95. Cheers from a very small-town bitter Western Pa native and resident

I live in a small town (population 5000 +) that has been steadily shrinking for decades and drying up.

The two biggest employers in my county are the local hospital and the aging WALMART. LOTS of guns. Lots and lots. Jr/High school kids take off from school on the opening of hunting season as a given, like it was an official national holiday.

It's like many, many of the very small towns of rural Pa. A small church on every other block, and a bar right down on the corner of the same street. Lots of guns. Lots of booze. Lots of church bingo. Lots of REPUBLICANS. And not a small amount of generations of white rural bigotry- of all kinds. That is not ALL that we are, here, but quite depressingly enough, it is not all untrue, either. I'm an Obama supporter, and a rare Dem in my overwhelmingly REPUBLICAN county. A Dem- any Dem- would probably get less than 20% of the vote in the GE. People here with barely a nickel consistently vote against their own economic self interests. And they've become so accustomed to the vast political lies of the Washington elites and loonies alike-- remember- this is the state that gave you Rick Santorum-- that the truth out loud grates hard, like screeching chalk on a chalkboard.

Rural small town Pa is what it is. I'm currently in the process of relocating to Ohio, where I'll be voting in the GE. And man, I hope with all my heart that that I can campaign for Obama there.

[Hope And Change]

96. Kick!

:kick:

[DemKing]

97. The Washington Lobbist/Insider & the $100 Million are in touch.

Please....

John McCain - Billary Clinton all at once arent going to stop Obama.

This is all ran by the media HOPING they can put something on Obama, so THEIR NEWS Ratings will go up for this nothing election.

Obama would drill all 3 of them in a Election.

-McCain is a old fool who the repubican party is trying to hide
-Bill is rusty and over the hill, he keeps making a fool out of himself
-Hillary needs 67% of the vote it is over!
-The News Media wants to try to put doubt in peoples minds so they WATCH their new networks, they want this close so viewers stay tune.


It's all a joke.

[Jackpine Radical]

99. Jeez, be careful!

You wouldn't believe how I got my ass kicked around here a few weeks ago for daring to utter that word, "Billary." I was just using as a portmanteau word to describe the Bill & Hill campaign, but I got drug through a knothole, stomped into the mud & accused of everything from excessive familiarity with Rush's cyst to rampant antifeminism.

[happygoluckytoyou]

98. BITTER ISNT EVEN THE START OF HOW WE FEEL

WE ALREADY KNOW THE DANGER OF BOMB BOMB BOMB JOHN "THE REPUBLICAN" MCCAIN....

for the past several months i have advocated allowing Clinton and Obama to duke it out---
what does not kill us makes us stronger


BUT HILLARY HAS GONE INTO A "ME OR DIE" REPUBLICAN-LITE ATTACK FORMAT WHICH WILL NOW HAVE ME VOTING MCCAIN IF SHE IS OUR CANDIDATE.....
..................NEW YORK CAN KEEP THEIR SENATOR

BARACK IS "NOT IN TOUCH"??????

BARACK DIDN'T MAKE $110 MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR
BARACK JUST FINISHED PAYING OFF HIS STUDENT LOANS
BARACK GREW UP IN A LOWER MIDDLE CLASS ENVIRONMENT WITH THE CONSTANT STIGMA ASSIGNED TO PEOPLE OF HIS COLOR IN AMERICA

........ HILLARY... PLEASE READ THIS... GO HOME!!!!!

[EnviroBat]

100. WOOOO HOOOOO!

:applause: :headbang: :bounce: :woohoo:

[Hope And Change]

102. Kick!

:kick: