A rolling Stone

At 4:30 yesterday afternoon, Sharon Stone walked into the Pittsburgh Democratic Headquarters… At 4:30 yesterday afternoon, Sharon Stone walked into the Pittsburgh Democratic Headquarters with a basket of candy.

“I’ve got healthy food here,” she said, “and I have junk food in the car.”

Stone began a speedy tour of battleground states yesterday, drumming up support for Sen. John Kerry’s, D-Mass., presidential bid. Accompanied by her sister Kelly, she spent much of her visit to her home state talking with campaign volunteers.

Her tour is part of Women on the Move for Kerry, an organization endeavoring to get more women into the polls for the presidential election on Nov. 2.

“Men might bring food home, but it’s the women who put it on the table,” Stone said while speaking to volunteers at the Downtown campaign headquarters. Stone has experience in raising money for AIDS research, and said that she has experience in talking to women about women’s issues.

Earlier in her visit, she stopped in Crawford County, where she grew up. She believes the unemployment crisis plaguing western Pennsylvania has sent a lot of young men and women to join the armed forces.

“There are so many yellow ribbons on cars in Crawford,” Stone said. “How many kids went to war because they’re weren’t any other choices?”

She praised Kerry’s actions in the presidential debates, voicing her belief that he won all three encounters with President George W. Bush. She especially approved of Kerry referring to U.S. soldiers posted abroad as “‘our kids,’ not ‘our fine young men,’ because they are our kids.” Mother to a 4-year-old son, Stone said “Kerry is ready to be the father of our nation.”

Stone also addressed Vice President Dick Cheney’s visit to the Pittsburgh area. Cheney watched the last of the presidential debates at a private party in Coraopolis, Pa.

“I’m glad Cheney can see what has happened to [Pittsburgh],” Stone said. “There will be a lot of people free in the afternoon to talk to him,” she added, referring to unemployed Pittsburghers.

Later in the afternoon, Stone appeared at a party in Mount Washington. She also visited Uniontown last night. Her tour will continue through Pennsylvania and other battleground states throughout the rest of the month.

Stone, sending a message to the college students of America, asked that people realize they are all fighting for a better future together.

“It’s not just you who needs a job, it’s everybody who does,” Stone said. “Either you help each other, or you’re nowhere.”