Endorsements in Steeltown

By Michael J.W. Stickings

A contrast:

Hillary Clinton

Clinton went to Pittsburgh and cozied up to Dick Scaife and the vast right-wing conspiracy, securing the quasi-endorsement of a detestable media baron who sought to bring the Clintons down in the '90s and who has spent the past several decades seeking to destroy liberalism and the Democratic Party.

Barack Obama

Obama has secured the endorsement of another Pittsburgh giant -- a good, decent, and admirable one -- Dan Rooney:

Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney on Monday endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid.

In a statement released by the Obama campaign, the 75-year-old Rooney said endorsing political candidates is not something he regularly does.

"As a grandfather and a citizen of this community, I think Barack Obama's thoughtful, strategic approach is important to America," Rooney said. "When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they talk about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them, which is to inspire them to be great Americans."

The Obama campaign said the Illinois senator and Rooney met Monday after Obama spoke at a meeting of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

"True sports fans know that you support your team when they are the underdogs," Rooney said. "Barack Obama is the underdog here, but it is with great pride that I join his team."

There's more from Rooney's statement at The Boston Globe: "This is not something that I do regularly but as I listen to the candidates in this race, I am struck that we continue to hear about the problems and the same challenges that we have been talking about for decades. Protecting jobs here in Pennsylvania, breaking our dangerous and costly addiction to foreign oil, making health care accessible and affordable – these are neither new issues nor new ideas. And yet we have failed to make real progress."

And at The Guardian: "Our country needs a new direction and a new kind of leadership – the kind of leadership, judgment and experience that Senator Obama has demonstrated in more than 20 years of public service, and in a particularly impressive way in this campaign. Senator Obama has rejected the say-and-do anything tactics that puts winning elections ahead of governing the country. And he has rejected the back-room politics in favour of opening government up to the people."

(Rooney's full "Dear Fellow Pennsylvanian" letter is at Scaife's rag, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.)

"When I think of Barack Obama's America I have great hope. I support his candidacy and look forward to his Presidency."

Another reason to love my beloved Steelers. Another reason to support Obama.

The contrast with Clinton is clear.