This is the fourth part of an analysis of the swing state Pennsylvania. It focuses on the industrial southwest, a once deep-blue region rapidly trending Republican. Part five can be found here.

Pittsburgh and the Southwest

Pennsylvania’s southwest has much in common with West Virginia and Southeast Ohio, the northern end of Appalachia. Electoral change in the region is best understood by grouping these three areas together as a whole.

Socially conservative (the region is famously supportive of the NRA) but economically liberal, the industrial southwest voters typify white working-class Democrats. These voters can be found in unexpected places: Catholics in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, loggers along the Washington coast, rust-belt workers in Duluth, Minnesota and Buffalo, New York.

It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal that brought the working-class to the Democratic Party.

More below.

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A recent report issued by the AFL-CIO revealed the scope of the economic crisis facing young people: rising unemployment and anxiety about their futures, inability to buy their own homes or even move out of their parents' houses and lack of basic health care and retirement security.

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(Proudly cross-posted at OC Progressive)

OK, everyone. There's still time for us to vote for Heather at DFA-Netroots Nation. Please do so... NOW!

Why? Well, why not send one of our best "hometown" bloggers to Pittsburgh to represent us? Netroots Nation is supposed to be a national gathering for netroots powerhouses and progressive activists, so how would Netroots Nation be complete without Heather?

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"PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Police sources tell KDKA that a campaign worker has now confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter "B" in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.

Ashley Todd, 20, of Texas, initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect became enraged and started beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.

Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.

Authorities, however, declined to release the results of that test.

Investigators did say that they received photos from the ATM machine and "the photographs were verified as not being the victim making the transaction.""

So much for that story.  I guess I shouldn't have gotten all worked up.

Any bets as to whether or not Drudge splashes this in huge red font.  The prick.

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This is good...real good

Rooney Endorses Obama For President

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney released a letter this morning endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President.

"As a grandfather and a citizen of this community I think Barack Obama's thoughtful, strategic approach is important for America," said Rooney.  "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."

Obama even acknowledge Rooney's presence in the crowd at this morning's Alliance for American Manufacturing forum at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

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