Obama’s message is a hit

After sitting in a room with Sen. Barack Obama for an hour and a half on Wednesday, several area residents said they are convinced that the presidential hopeful will work to help Henry County and Martinsville if he is elected Nov 4.

“I appreciate Sen. Obama’s honesty in saying he’s not going to say he can go out here and fix everything immediately,” said Valeria Edwards of Horsepasture, who was among 300 people invited to a town hall meeting with the candidate at Patrick Henry Community College’s motorsports facility. “But knowing that when he wakes up in the morning, he’s thinking about Martinsville … that warms my heart.”

Edwards said she was touched when the Illinois senator pledged to wake up in the White House every day thinking about how he can help people who are struggling in Henry County and Martinsville. He made the promise to a room filled with many people who know those struggles well — the invitation-only event was held for workers and families who have been impacted by trade policies of the Bush administration.

Edwards’ family is among them. Her husband, Michael Edwards Sr., lost his job of 34 years at Pillowtex when the company’s Fieldale plant closed in 2003. He took automotive classes in the very building where Obama’s meeting was held and earned a certificate in May, but still he has been unable to find a job, Valeria Edwards said.

Obama acknowledged that problem Wednesday, noting that even workers who are retrained often cannot find jobs that pay two-thirds of their former salaries. He pledged to change trade policies to eliminate tax cuts for companies that move jobs overseas and offer incentives to those that create jobs in the United States.

Obama’s message is a hit