Sarah Palin invoked Joe the Plumber and Joe the Quarterback tonight in a combination political-pep rally in a packed football stadium in Beaver County -- an overwhelmingly Democratic blue-collar region being energetically sought by the Republican ticket in the waning days of the presidential campaign.

Ms. Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee, invoked native son Joe Namath's upset win with the New York Jets in the 1969 Super Bowl and attacked Democratic nominee Barack Obama's economic proposals as socialism.

"He's hiding his agenda of redistributing your hard-earned money," Ms. Palin, the Alaska governor, told a raucous crowd at the Beaver High School Stadium.

She cited Mr. Obama's encounter earlier this month with Joe Wurzelbacher, a Toledo, Ohio, plumber who pressed him to explain his tax policies. At the time, Mr. Obama cited his proposal to raise taxes on incomes over $250,000 as an attempt to "spread the wealth."

"Somehow Joe accomplished something none of the rest of us has been able to do. He got our opponent to finally state his intentions in plain language," Ms. Palin said. "Joe the Plumber said it sounded like socialism. Now is not the time to experiment with socialism."

Even before Ms. Palin invoked that term, some in the crowd were shouting it, with one adding, "Tell him to go back to Indonesia. Tell him to show his birth certificate."

Ms. Palin, who unveils what the campaign is calling her first public policy speech tomorrow morning at the Airport Marriott, made pointed reference to the McCain-Palin ticket's position on abortion and promised as well to be an advocate for special needs children.

Six months ago, she gave birth to a son, Trig, who has Down syndrome.

"John and I, we have a vision of an America where every innocent life counts. Where everyone is given a chance to contribute and where every child is cherished. That is the spirit that I want to bring to Washington," she told the crowd.

She promised to show families with special needs children "that they have a friend and an advocate in the White House."

Ms. Palin, will give tomorrow's address at the Airport Marriott before an invited crowd of 350, campaign aides said.

Trig Palin, the governor's six-month-old son, accompanied her as her campaign airplane landed at Pittsburgh International Airport today. She was also accompanied by her 7-year-old daughter, Piper.

The visit -- Ms. Palin's third to the area since she became the nominee -- comes as one poll shows the McCain-Palin ticket tightening the lead of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

It also comes at a time Pittsburgh police reported they are dealing with a bizarre attack reported by a McCain volunteer, who said she was mugged and a "B" cut into her face. Police said the victim, a 20-year-old woman from Texas, said she was attacked in one of the city's eastern neighborhoods but that she did not seek medical attention.

A local delegation greeted Ms. Palin when her plane touched down shortly after 4 p.m. at Atlantic Aviation at the Pittsburgh International Airport. They briefly chatted with the governor and her daughter, but were not available for comment.

A staff press aide identified the group as Linda Rinchiuso, of Renfew, Carlyn and Hanna Kimmerling, of Evans City; Bill LeBianc, of Darlington; Marty Matthews, of Beaver; Megan Carpenter, of Beaver Falls; and Diane Boffo, of Rochester.