Obama campaign stop in Pittsburgh focuses on middle-class struggles

By Gwenn Barney

President Barack Obama said he wakes up every morning to go to work for millions of Americans.

And he wants four more years to continue that.

Over the course of his 30-minute speech, Obama addressed a smorgasbord of major election issues including education, energy and the war in Afghanistan. But the thrust of his speech centered on the economy and the importance of the middle class.

“That dream of a strong middle class — that’s what America’s always been about,” Obama said. “That’s what led me to get into public service. That’s what led me to ask for re-election.”

About 6,500 people braved temperatures in the high 90s to hear the president speak on the College of Fine Arts Lawn at Carnegie Mellon University Friday. The speech was part of Obama’s two-day “Betting on America” bus tour that started in Ohio Thursday and ended with his appearance in Pittsburgh. READ MORE