On eve of election, Joe Biden delivers pro-labor message in Western Pa.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden delivered a pro-labor message Monday in three Western Pennsylvania campaign stops on the eve of Election Day.
Beaver County
“I will be the most pro-union president you have ever seen. I guarantee you a seat at the table,” Biden told a socially distanced, mask-wearing crowd gathered outside on the Community College of Beaver County Campus.
The crowd, numbering more than 100, included men and women from unions representing firefighters, iron workers, steamfitters, electricians, painters and other workers.
Biden, who spoke for less than 15 minutes, drew many contrasts between himself and his Republican opponent, President Trump.
“He can only see the world through Park Avenue. I see the world through Scranton,” Biden said, referring to his blue-collar Pennsylvania hometown.
“He thinks Wall Street built America. Wall Street didn’t build America. The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class,” Biden said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Biden disputed claims that he would ban fracking — a process used to extract natural gas from the ground — should he be elected president. Pennsylvania is the No. 2 producer of natural gas in the United States.
“I will not ban fracking. I never said I would,” Biden said.
Biden also went after Trump for reportedly referring to U.S. soldiers who were injured or killed in war as “losers.”
“Trump’s a loser,” Biden said.
Homewood
As dusk fell in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, 70-year-old Robert Wideman was among the people who came to a drive-in rally in the parking lot of Lexington Technology Park, Biden’s second stop of the day.
In his memory, this is the first time a presidential candidate has visited the neighborhood.
“It means everything. That tells me that he’s interested in this community,” Wideman said. “It means a lot. Donald Trump would never come here, now you can bet that. I’m certain of it.”
Another of the attendees, Lisa Ellies, who now lives in Fort Bragg, N.C., is a Homewood native visiting her ailing mother in town.
She decided to come to the rally carrying a “Veterans for Biden” sign. She supports Biden for his stance on health care issues, to ensure the future of Social Security and education issues, she said.
Biden was introduced by legendary Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris, who shares a bond with Biden that dates back to the 1970s Steelers heyday.
After the 1972 car crash the killed Biden’s first wife, Neilia, and their daughter, Naomi, Biden was at the hospital with his surviving children, Hunter and Beau, and went to buy some Christmas decorations to try to make the best of the holiday.
While Biden was gone, Harris and his partner in the Steelers backfield, Rocky Bleier, paid a visit to the boys and gifted them with footballs signed by the team.
Biden outlined his plan to gain control of the pandemic, restore the economy and America’s stature in the world.
He promised to deliver social justice reforms people have been asking for since May 25, when George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement.
“In 2008 and 2012, you placed your trust in Barack and me, and now in 2020, I’m asking for your trust again in me and Kamala,” Biden said. “I’m running as a proud Democrat, but I will govern as an American president. That’s the job of a president, the duty to represent everyone.”
Heinz Field
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf helped to warm up the chilly crowd outside Heinz Field for Biden’s final stop of the day but was outshined by another of Biden’s supporters: pop star Lady Gaga.
Now is “not the time to feel confident and sit back,” Lady Gaga told the drive-in audience prior to Biden taking the stage. “Now is the time to show up and vote like this country depends on it, because it does.”
.@ladygaga in #Pittsburgh: “This is not about red or blue. This is about people. This is about heart.”
The former Lancaster resident says the people of #PA have “a lot of heart.”
“This is not a shallow people.”
Segue into “Shallow” from A Star Is Born movie.. ?@TribLIVE ? pic.twitter.com/znkUiqpAd2
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) November 3, 2020
Wolf concentrated on the importance of every vote.
“This is the eve of a really historic election, where everything is hanging in the balance,” Wolf said. “We need to do everything we can right here in Pennsylvania to make sure that Joe Biden becomes the next president of the United States.”
Biden drew a sharp contrast between himself and Trump.
“We’re still in a battle for the soul of America,” Biden said as he took the stage.
“But let me tell you something folks, tomorrow is … a new day,” Biden said. “Tomorrow, we can put an end to a presidency that has left hard-working Americans out in the cold. Tomorrow, we can put an end to a presidency that has divided this nation and fanned the flames of hate. Tomorrow, we can put an end to a presidency that has failed to protect this nation.”
Biden said he will ramp up efforts to respond to the pandemic and its impacts and faulted Trump for suggesting he might fire Dr. Anthony Fauci.
He also cited plans to tax companies that move jobs overseas, protect health benefits guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act, closing loopholes that benefit the super wealthy and corporations and providing more tax credits and other financial benefits to first-time homebuyers, entrepreneurs and students.
“The power is in your hands, Pennsylvania.”
In addition to Biden’s three Western Pennsylvania campaign stops, Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Unity Township this morning at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and Trump visited Butler County over the weekend. Twenty electoral votes are up for grabs in Pennsylvania, which Trump won by about 44,000 votes in 2016 to become the first GOP presidential candidate to carry the state since 1988.
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