Barack Obama and his runningmate Joe Biden visited Pennsylvania today, their first stop after the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

They campaigned in the western section of the state, visiting the Pennsylvania Biodiesel plant in Monaca (subject of an earlier post) and then stopping for ice cream at the Windmill Ice Cream Shop in Aliquippa.Barack had butter pecan and Joe had a heaping helping of both chocolate and vanilla.

I ran for vice president just so I could get ice cream. That's why I'm here.

Barack had this to say about campaigning with Joe:

I'm really pleased with Joe Biden. You know, our families have just really hit it off. We had some of his grandkids over for a sleepover with Malia and Sasha and they just had a great time. I'm absolutely convinced that Joe Biden is the right person to help move this country in the direction where working families have a shot.

Joe elaborated on his commitment to working families at a rally in Beaver, speaking about his roots in Scranton and his debt of gratitude to the United Steel Workers, the first union to endorse Biden, in his very first political race.

A crowd of over 8.000 people in Irving Park listened the pair speak about the clear choices they have in this election and heard them brag a bit about getting to meet Mike Tomlin, coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Enjoy the day in pictures,

Arun Chaudhary
August 29th, 2008
Youngstown, Ohio

The campaign just sent out this email...

Amanda --

On Thursday night, August 28th, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

More than 80,000 people joined him in Denver to be part of the moment, and tens of millions more shared the experience across the country.

Watch Barack's historic speech and share it with your friends and family today:

http://my.barackobama.com/barackspeech

This campaign belongs to supporters like you who have built a nationwide movement for change.

Thank you for everything you're doing,

Obama for America

 

Barack Obama and Joe Biden tour a Biodeisel Plant in Manoca, PA.

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: Barack Obama Joe Biden Energy Pennsylvania
Added: August 29, 2008

Barack and Michelle Obama joined Joe and Jill Biden today in the Keystone state, in their first events since the convention in Denver.

Before the town hall in Beaver tonight, the four of them toured the Pennsylvanian Biodeisel Inc, a startup company in Monaca, that aims to deliver four to five million gallons of biodiesel fuel for tractors and trailers in its first year.
 
Joe Biden was quick to point out that the chicken fat used to produced the fuel here comes from Delaware, and that this self-sustaining process of reducing waste and making fuel out of it is a "win-win" for jobs and the environment.
 
Here's the video of their visit to the plant:

Peter Rubi
August 29, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA

Barack and Michelle Obama joined Joe and Jill Biden today in the Keystone state, in their first event since the convention in Denver.

Before the town hall in Beaver tonight, the four of them toured the Pennsylvanian Biodeisel Inc, a startup company in Monaca, that aims to deliver four to five million gallons of biodiesel fuel for tractors and trailers in its first year.
 
Joe Biden was quick to point out that the chicken fat used to produced the fuel here comes from Delaware, and that this self-sustaining process of reducing waste and making fuel out of it is a "win-win" for jobs and the environment.
 
Here's the video of their visit to the plant:

Peter Rubi
August 29, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA

Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president on August 28, 2008, before 84,000 people at Mile High Stadium, in Denver, CO.

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: barack obama 2008 nomination presidential campaign denver colorado dnc
Added: August 29, 2008

A single mom with a three-year-old son, convention delegate Chelsie from Rosenberg, Texas considers herself a very blessed person.

Two years ago, Chelsie, now 22, was in an abusive relationship. When she broke up with her abusive ex-boyfriend, he continued to follow her. She got a protective order from a judge, but that didn’t stop him. One day he followed her home and shot her in the head with a gun he stole from a neighbor’s house.

If it wasn’t for the grace of God I wouldn’t be here today. But also thanks to Joe Biden and his Violence Against Women Act, my ex is in prison and can’t hurt me again.

Chelsie’s ex-boyfriend was convicted and will spend the next 25 years in prison. And Chelsie came out of the experience a strong advocate for smarter gun control.

There are too many instances of people committing crimes with guns they’re not supposed to have. We need to control that better. In my home state of Texas, it’s very easy to get a gun. All you have to do is go to a pawnshop. They will hold it for three days ad if you pass a simple background check, they’ll give you a gun. 

Chelsie hopes Barack will help create a smart gun control policy to help protect others from becoming victims of violence.

Since her ordeal, she’s become an advocate for the Violence Against Women Act.

So many people don’t realize what a problem domestic violence is. I know many women who have experienced violence at home and didn’t do anything about it. Joe Biden has brought some much-needed attention to this issue. I was thrilled to see him selected as the nominee for Vice President. We need to let people know that violence is not right, and there is help out there.

Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden drafted and sponsored the Violence Against Women Act in the 1990s. This act put violence against women on the national agenda and held batterers accountable. Joe said, "I consider the Violence Against Women Act the single most significant legislation that I’ve crafted during my 35-year tenure in the Senate. [S]ince we passed the Act in 1994 over a million women have found justice in our courtrooms and obtained domestic violence protective orders." Read more about the Obama-Biden plan to strengthen the lives of American women.

Chelsie was excited to attend the convention to share her story and bring attention to two important issues. She raised money to get to the convention by holding bake sales, yard sales, and passing around pledge forms to her friends and neighbors. She raised nearly $2,000 to pay for her flight and hotel.

“I very much enjoyed the convention,” she says. This was my first convention, but it definitely won’t be my last. It’s been so great to be involved. I was deputized to register voters and have been doing that every day in a local minority neighborhood. If I’m not at work, I’m usually out registering new voters.

Chelsie says she supports Barack because he will work for ordinary Americans.

Barack represents all Americans. He’s a true Democrat and understands we need important Democratic social programs to succeed. My son is on the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) program in Texas, and I was on Medicaid when I first had my son. I used it as a stepping-stone until I got a better job that provided health insurance. I think I represent a true Democrat – the kind of person Barack is working for.

Barack wants to do something to help everybody – no matter what color they are of what walk of life they come from. He’s lived the American dream, and it’s so beautiful to see someone actually make it.

Chelsie says she will do everything she can between now and November to get Barack elected.

I got a second chance in life. Now I want to be involved in politics so that my son will have a better future.

Join Chelsie and find out how you can get more involved in the Obama-Biden campaign and create a better future for all Americans.

Today Barack, Michelle, Joe and Jill headed to Pennsylvania to kick off the “On the Road to Change” bus tour through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. They will host their first event as the official Democratic nominees at Irvine Park in Beaver, Pennsylvania.

Watch the event live below...