Obama speaks in Poland, Ohio, now en route to Pittsburgh

The PG's Tim McNulty is riding with President Obama today doing the pool report on the tour's way into Pittsburgh for a speech at Carnegie Mellon University. Here's his update from picturesque Poland, Ohio.

Pool joined campaign in Poland, Ohio, south of Youngstown, for campaign speech in a tiny rectangular basketball court at Dobbins Elementary.

Bill Basista, Veteran and OFA Volunteer, gave the pledge at 10:15 a.m. followed by a double-barreled campaign speech by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, where he lauded Mr. Obama's efforts to help the auto industry and the "ripple effects" that has had on local Chevrolet dealers, steelmakers and other industries.

"Barack Obama stuck his neck out and the Mahoning Valley is back to work because of this president. You see the ripple effect throughout our community," Mr. Ryan said.

He did not mention Mr. Romney by name but claimed his policies would "turn the clock back not to 1920 but to 1820."'

The crowd -- largely middle aged, mixed race -- waited about 25 minutes for Mr. Obama to enter the back of the gym, dressed in blue dress shirt and tan slacks. He spoke for 30 minutes and was far into his campaign address before addressing this morning's jobs report from the Labor Department.

There has been some jobs growth since he took office in 2009, Mr. Obama said, but, "We can't be satisfied because our goal was never to keep on working to get back to where we were in 2007. I want to get back to a time when people in the middle class had some basic security . . .We have to tap into the basic character of our country."