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By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
Bill O'Boyle on Facebook   |   @TLBillOboyle on Twitter

SCRANTON – With signs representing groups from Italians to hockey moms, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin invoked the name of former Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey as she energized a crowd of more than 6,000 Tuesday in Scranton.

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Sarah Palin speaks at the Riverfront Complex in Scranton. AIMEE DILGER Photos/The Times Leader 10/14/2008

Aimee Dilger

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Sarah Palin enters the stage at the Riverfront Complex in Scranton. AIMEE DILGER Photos/The Times Leader 10/14/2008

Aimee Dilger

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Speaking at a McCain-Palin rally at the Riverfront Sports Complex, the Alaska governor was greeted by a sea of supporters wearing red in a show of support for the Republican ticket.

Palin’s 38-minute speech highlighted running mate Sen. John McCain’s economic recovery plan, help for distressed homeowners and energy independence, including clean-coal technology.

Accompanied by her husband Todd, whom she called “Alaska’s first dude,” Palin, 44, promised to serve as an advocate for special-needs children as she recalled the late governor from Scranton.

“Gov. Casey had a simple plan to help those most vulnerable – put them first in line,” Palin said. “Gov. Casey’s words can inspire a special love; a love this world needs more of. Children are not a problem, they are a priority.”

Wearing a blue blazer and black skirt, Palin said the truest measure of any society is how we treat those who are least able to defend themselves.

The Palins have five children, including infant son Trig, who was born with Down syndrome.

Palin’s visit came two days after Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden joined former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the same venue. Biden is running with Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Scranton officials placed Sunday’s crowd at nearly 3,000; a city fireman said there were more than 6,000 in the room at the sports complex Tuesday.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Ellen Melody said Palin “remains out of touch with what the hard-working families and seniors in Northeast Pennsylvania are going through.”

Mellody said, “Parachuting in and out the Commonwealth, erratic behavior and trickle-down, ideological recipes won’t help Scranton’s middle class. The people of Northeast Pennsylvania are hurting, and Obama has laid out a set of policies that will help them and strengthen our economy.”

Numerous polls show Obama-Biden with a comfortable lead in Pennsylvania, which has a prize of 21 electoral votes.

Before Palin spoke, country singer Lee Greenwood led the singing of the national anthem, then belted out his signature song, “Proud to be an American,” as the crowd sang along, with many clearly showing emotion.

“Are you ready to make John McCain the next president of the United States?” Palin asked the enthusiastic crowd. “Are you ready to shake things up in Washington?”

Palin was interrupted several times during her speech by chants of “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.” Signs were raised throughout the raucous rally, carrying messages such as “Catholics for McCain-Palin,” “Choosey Moms Choose Life,” “Hunters for McCain,” “Real Men Vote Palin” and “Drill Baby Drill.”

Palin told of the new McCain plan announced on Tuesday to reduce or eliminate taxes and to help distressed homeowners with their mortgages. She said the plan will get the economy moving again, calling McCain’s plan “a hand up, not a hand out.”

Palin said that with an economy in crisis, financial markets collapsing and jobs vanishing, the country needs a leader with experience, good judgment and a plan of action.

“Americans are struggling under the weight of the wrong mortgage,” she said. “So we’re going to work with them to get them a fixed-rate mortgage that will help them keep their homes.”

Palin said McCain will implement a spending freeze that only exempts vital programs and veterans’ benefits.

“The federal government is in a hole. The first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole is quit digging.”

She said Americans can’t afford more tax increases, claiming that Democratic presidential candidate Obama plans to increase spending.

“Your taxes are already too high,” Palin said. “Obama wants to raise them. America is deep in debt and he will get us in deeper.”

Palin took a few shots at Biden and his stance on clean coal. She criticized Biden for telling an Ohio voter last month that the Obama campaign does not support clean coal, and that coal-fired power plants should be built in China, not the United States. Pennsylvania is the nation’s No. 4 coal-producing state, and Palin said there is more coal in the United State than there is oil in Saudi Arabia.

“You here in Pennsylvania get it when we talk about clean coal technology,” she said. “Our opponents keep saying ‘no’ to sound, responsible domestic energy solutions. Whether Joe Biden approves it or not, John McCain and I are going to develop clean-coal technology here in America, and we’ll be looking to the good people of Pennsylvania to help us meet that goal.”

Palin also criticized Obama on what she called his “rhetoric” on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“And just once, it sure would be nice if he (Obama) would just once say he wants America to win,” she said.

Palin also talked about the corruption on Wall Street and the arrogance of the Washington, D.C., elite.

Palin said she and McCain will look to the future because “that’s where we will find solutions.”

“We need your vote on Nov. 4,” she told the crowd. “We believe that America is not the problem; it’s the solution.”

She also said that she would say what McCain won’t.

“There is only one man in this campaign who has truly fought for you, and that’s John McCain,” she said.

After the speech, the Palins, along with four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser, spent more than 30 minutes signing autographs and greeting supporters.

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Bill O’Boyle, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7218.