Steelers Owner Brings Support For Obama to WheelingBy JOSELYN KING
WHEELING — For Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, the Democratic presidential primary in West Virginia is down to the two-minute warning.
And he appeared with Obama supporters at the Salsa Cafe in Wheeling Thursday to take U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., downfield for a victory on May 13.
“We’re at the goal line — in the red zone,” Rooney said. “We have to put it in.”
Rooney termed Obama “a terrific guy” and explained why Obama is the only candidate he ever has endorsed — other than his son, Jim Rooney, who ran for state Senate in Pennsylvania.
“He has integrity and is motivated to bringing young people into the process,” Rooney said of Obama. “You get a chance once in every 50 years to elect someone with the leadership of Barack Obama.
“I’ve met him,” Rooney added. “His wife is a fine young woman, and he has a young family. He’s just like us. He’s anything but elitist.”
Rooney added that Obama reminds him of another candidate from 50 years ago — former President John F. Kennedy.
“West Virginia put him over the top,” Rooney said of Kennedy. “I’d like to see you do it again in 2008 for Barack Obama.”
Jim Rooney, who accompanied his father to Wheeling, said the Rooney family felt they should spread the word about Obama to their “neighbors in West Virginia.”
“Look, we’re in the football business,” Jim Rooney said. “We won’t pretend to be experts, but Sen. Obama is a man who has impressed my father. He has integrity and fundamental values, and we’ve been impressed with his leadership.
“We’ve also been impressed with the way he has pushed his campaign. He’s been straight forward and is not playing games,” he said.
Jim Rooney also commented that Obama reminded him of Kennedy, who once commented: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
“Obama’s campaign is about asking what can you do to make the country a better place,” Jim Rooney said.
