The White House lied, the innocent died and in November we will decide, shouted the Rev. Jesse Jackson, speaking yesterday evening before a large crowd gathered outside United Steelworkers of America headquarters Downtown.

	Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette The Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses the crowd yesterday outside the United Steelworkers Building, Downtown. Click photo for larger image.

"Remember... in November. No Bush. Remember... in November. No Cheney. Remember... in November. No Ashcroft. We need a new administration and we need one now."

Jackson, as well as local, regional and state officials and leaders of the United Steelworkers of America, gathered for a rally to launch a bus tour of the hills of Appalachia to take a message of reinvesting in America to save jobs and provide affordable health care. For four days, the bus will travel through Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

Under the Bush administration, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have lost a total of 334,000 manufacturing jobs, Jackson said. In West Virginia, 14 percent of the population lacks health insurance, as do 12 percent of the population in Ohio and 10 percent in Pennsylvania.

"We are building schools in Iraq while children in Appalachia have to drive two hours one way to get to school," said Jackson. "They are building roads in Iraq while the infrastructure at home is collapsing."

The rally began with the music of the Carpenter Ants, whose songs about about sardines, black-eyed peas and pork n' beans energized the crowd.

Speaking just before Jackson, Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers and chairman of the "Reinvest in America -- Put America Back To Work" bus tour, encouraged to crowd to get out and make a difference in their communities.

"Rush Limbaugh says he's a patriot and I'm not. Newt Gingrich says he's a patriot and I'm not. Dick Cheney says he's a patriot and I'm not. Clarence Thomas says he's a patriot and I'm not. I spent a year in Vietnam and never met or seen a single one of those chicken hawks."

Jackson took a moment to pay respect to the late President Ronald Reagan, then discussed two issues facing America today: The "misguided war" in Iraq and the need to reinvest in America.

"We have to put America back to work, and provide affordable health care for all Americans," he said.