NILES - Gov. Ted Strickland told about 1,500 people Sunday evening that there is not a "dime's worth of difference" between President George W. Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee.
"If you're going down the river without a life jacket and there's a man standing on the bank, you don't care if he's black, white, purple or green. You only care if he's got a strong arm to pull you out. Barack Obama has a strong arm, and he will pull us out of the mess the Republicans have created over the past eight years," Strickland said during a labor rally at McMenamy's.
The "Take Back the Valley Labor Rally" was organized by the Mahoning-Trumbull AFL-CIO, UAW Local 1112 and 1714, Trumbull County Democratic Party, Mahoning County Democratic Party and the Western Reserve Building Trades.
Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 in Lordstown, said union leaders were trying to use the event as a catalyst to get Sen. Obama, D-Ill., to come to Warren like Sen. John Kerry did in 2004 when he was running for president.
"Democrats helped put Republicans in the White House four years ago because there's not enough Republicans to do it. Democrats helped give George Bush the edge in 2004, but not this time. This time, we are a united party and we are going to put a Democrat back in charge," Graham said before introducing U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Niles.
The congressman gave a nod to The Ohio State University coach Jim Tressel by wearing a white shirt and a red OSU sweater vest.
"Ronald Reagan began the 30-year assault on America's middle class and it ended with the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street," Ryan said about the bill passed last week that has the federal government buying up outstanding mortgages. The Niles Democrat was among the 263 representatives that voted for the legislation.
"I implore you from the bottom of my heart. Please don't make me work with John McCain for four more years," Ryan said.
Cindy Michael, who is on the executive board of the Mahoning-Trumbull AFL-CIO, said the unions used to have labor rallies all the time but they stopped having them.
"Barack Obama made us start again," she said.
Elaine Price of Warren said prior to the rally that her grassroots campaign called "Trumbull 4 Barack 4 Change" started with three people after the primary in and now boasts more than 150 members. She said volunteers have been canvassing neighborhoods, working phone banks and registering voters in Trumbull County. Price said her group registered 2,500 voters between May and July 3.
"It's just a drop in the bucket when you realize how many people are not registered," she said.
During the rally, her speech drew thunderous applause.
"Our country has been in the hospital for a long time. We went to the intensive care unit eight years ago. Now, we are on life support. If Obama is not elected, we're going to the ground," she said.
She said as an African American, she gets frustrated when people use race as a reason not to vote for Obama.
"I've had people tell me they can't vote for a colored man. Why not? I've been voting for a white man all my life," Price said.
Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, led union workers and local politicians on a walk from Youngstown to Warren Sunday morning to draw attention to the loss of jobs in the Valley. The group started at the General Electric Lamp Plant on Meridian Road, then went to Indalex in Girard and on to Amweld Steel in Warren.
"The Bush-McCain trade pacts and economic policies have wrecked our economy and destroyed lives," he said.
Also in attendance at the rally was U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii. He said he was born in Buffalo, N.Y., but attended school with Obama's mother. He said he came to the rally to show voters how important Ohio is to winning the election.
"Ohio is key. If we win Ohio, we will win the presidency. This is where the battle will be won," he said.
