In Pittsburgh, Obama says it's Clinton who's out of touch-Steelers' Rooney endorses Illinois Senator

[Divernan]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In Pittsburgh, Obama says it's Clinton who's out of touch
Steelers' Rooney endorses Illinois senator
Monday, April 14, 2008
By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Andy Starnes/Post-Gazette
Sen. Barack Obama speaks at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh on Monday.Sen. Barack Obama began his remarks to the Alliance for American Manufacturing today by greeting his "good friend" and Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, and later deflecting criticism of his remarks on "bitter" Pennsylvania voters.

"You know, there's been a lot of talk in this campaign lately about who's in touch with the workers of Pennsylvania. Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain seem to be singing from the same hymn book, saying that I'm "out of touch" -- an elitist -- because I said a lot of folks are bitter about their economic circumstances.

"Now it may be that I chose my words badly. And it's not the first time and it won't be the last. But when I hear my opponents, both of whom have spent decades in Washington, saying I'm out of touch, it's time to cut through their rhetoric and look at the reality," he said at a speech this morning to a labor-management group at the David L. Lawrence convention center.

The Illinois senator said he has been a Steelers fan since he was 10 years old. He said they are a "favorite" team of his, though he has "to root for the Bears when those two teams are playing."Despite that, the Steelers chairman released a letter endorsing Mr. Obama. "As a grandfather and a citizen of this community I think Barack Obama's thoughtful, strategic approach is important for America," the letter addressed to"fellow Pennsylvanians" said. "When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them, which is to inspire them to be great Americans."

First published on April 14, 2008 at 10:13 am


Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08105/873204-100.stm

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Believe me, between Rooney's endorsement and Senator Bob Casey's endorsement, Pittsburgh is a lock for Obama.

[leftofcool]

1. Another millionaire endorses Obama

I think that's nice

[Divernan]

2. Go ahead & dis Rooney - you'll only push more people away from HRC!

[mod mom]

6. Lobbyists backing Hillary 8 to 1, coupled with her maxed out donor problem-who has

the backing of the wealthy?

Lobbyists giving to Hillary 8 to 1 over Obama:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?cycle=2008

[stratomagi]

12. The Rooneys are very forward thinking people

Dan is responsible for the Rooney Rule in football.

[Divernan]

13. Here's the Rooney Rule - from Wikipedia

Rooney Rule
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Rooney Rule requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for a head coaching opportunity. The rule is named for Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the chairman of the league's diversity committee, and is often cited as an example of affirmative action.

In 2003, the NFL fined the Detroit Lions $200,000 for failure to interview minority candidates for the team's vacant head coaching job. After Marty Mornhinweg was fired, the Lions immediately hired former San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci to replace him without interviewing any other candidates. The Lions claimed they attempted to interview other candidates but that the minority candidates withdrew from interviews, believing Mariucci's hiring was inevitable.

Since the Rooney Rule was established, several NFL franchises have hired minority head coaches (including the Steelers themselves, who hired Mike Tomlin before their 2007 season), although the policy is still debated. No team has stated whether the Rooney Rule contributed to the hiring of a minority.

However, the rule does not apply if an assistant coach has language in his contract guaranteeing him the starting job in case of an opening. <1> This was the case when Mike Martz took over as head coach of the St. Louis Rams before the 2000 season.

[IronLionZion]

18. That attitude sends a lot of Steelers fans over to Obama

I think that's lovely.

[Divernan]

3. Here's more from the story - he's speaking to union members & management

He then took a veiled shot at Mrs. Clinton, who was photographed doing a shot in bar over the weekend. "Around election time, the candidates can't do enough -- they'll promise you anything, they'll give you a long list of proposals and even come around, with TV crews in tow, to throw back a shot and a beer," he said with a laugh.

Mrs. Clinton is due to speak to the group later this morning.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a labor-management group composed of the United Steelworkers and steel manufacturers such as U.S. Steel. The group is largely concerned with Chinese trade practices that it holds accountable for the loss of 15,650 Pennsylvania jobs per year.

Mr. Obama talked about his roots working with steelworkers as a Chicago community organizer and plans to pressure China to regulate its currency. "America and the world can benefit from trade with China. But trade with China will only be good for you if China itself plays by the rules and acts as a positive force for balanced world growth," he said.

[madrchsod]

7. the chinese put the steel mill where i live out of business.

every time they released their price per ton the chinese would go 50 dollars per ton cheaper..now the mill produces wire instead of I/H beams and other structural steel...4500 workers in the early 70`s to 350 today

[madrchsod]

4. any football players for hillary?

never knew rooney was a democrat

[mod mom]

9. There are Rural Americans for Hillary-ooops my bad, those are Monsanto's lobbyists:

Yee-haw

October 18, 2007 10:06 AM

So later this month, according to THIS INVITATION, the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, is holding a "Rural Americans for Hillary" lunch and campaign briefing at the end of this month….

..but she's holding it in Washington, DC….

…at a lobbying firm…

… and specifically, though it's not mentioned in the invitation, at the lobbying firm Troutman Sanders Public Affairs…

…which just so happens to lobby for the controversial multinational agri-biotech Monsanto.

You read that right: Monsanto, about which there are serious questions about its culpability regarding 56 Superfund Sites, wanton and "outrageous" pollution, and the decidedly unkosher (and quite metaphoric) genetically-bred "Superpig."

-snip

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2007/10/yee-haw.html

[bemildred]

5. Rooney! That's amazing. nt

[napi21]

8. I can't think of a MORE COVETED endorsement that THAT ONE!

The Rooneys are ADORED in Pittsburgh! I don't think most endorsements make a hill of beans difference to most voters, but THIS ONE MATTERS!

[Divernan]

10. Absolutely. And Franco Harris opened Obama HQ in Washington County, PA

KDKA.com (March 25, 2008)
Franco Harris Opens Obama HQ In Washington Co.
WASHINGTON (KDKA) ― Steelers legend Franco Harris opened Sen. Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in Washington County. Obama's opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, made her rounds in Western Pennsylvania this week, stopping in Greensburg.

She's come under fire for comments about landing under sniper fire in Bosnia in 1996, but CBS News video from that day showed no gunfire. Harris says he won't trash the senator. "Things like that are really not important to me. You know, those are issues that sidetrack from the real issues," he said.

But other Obama supporters are taking a different stance. "If she lied about that in a strange way and she forgot - what else did she forget?," Joyce Ellis said.

[Doctor_J]

11. Will any of the Steeler wingers join in?

Most of them adore Mr. Rooney, as they call him. I imagine Bradshaw and Swann will stump for McShame, though it won't do any good this time.

[napi21]

14. I doubt any of this will sway any RWers, but these endorsements

well could sway Pgh. voters from Clinton to Obama. I wouldn't worry too much about RWers in Pgh. They are by far the MONORITY there!

[Hawaii Hiker]

15. And the Rooney's are not some far left people either, actually

they might be what you'd call Reagan Democrats...

[happygoluckytoyou]

16. I NEVER LIKED THE STEELERS... BUT I AM A FAN OF THIS

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!!!!!

[rayofreason]

17. HRC did not make $110 million last year

And why would you vote for McCain instead of her if Obama is not the nominee?

Please explain because I don't get it.

[tazkcmo]

19. What?????????

You site the danger of having BOMB BOMB BOMB McCain as POTUS then say you'll vote for him? This is very confusing...please explain...(Blood...coming from...ears...OWWWWWWWWWW)

[lark]

22. Anyone who would really vote for McCain

is not a Democrat and should go away. However, if you are just spouting off to release tension, have fun.

[DebbieCDC]

20. Steeler fan from womb to tomb & Obama supporter here...

And glad to hear of Dan Rooney's endorsement. I remember as a kid watching Steeler games with my dad who venerated Art Rooney (Dan's dad) and used to tell me stories about the "old" Steelers (pre-Superbowl winning days) when they were the joke of the NFL and couldn't win a game. I grew up 60 miles from Pittsbugh and you'd be hard-pressed to find a RW in those old union mill towns back then.

Of course I left 20 plus years ago after college, so things may have changed. But a Rooney/Steeler endorsement is still worth a WHOLE lot to a candidate back there I would think.

[kevinmc]

21. The Rooney endorsement will mean more than any politicians ... n/t