With four days left before the election and polls indicating -- rightly or wrongly -- a possible Democratic sweep of Congress and the White House, Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin warned supporters at a rowdy campaign rally in Latrobe yesterday that a one-party "Obama-Pelosi-Reid" government would be dangerous.

"Pennsylvania, the far left-wing of the Democrat Party is preparing to take over the entire federal government, and heaven forbid, the White House," said the Alaska governor, to hearty boos from an audience of about 1,000 who had gathered in a freezing airplane hanger at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

In an attack line she's been using in her stump speech for the past few days, Ms. Palin warned of Democratic plans for a one-quarter cut in defense spending -- "one of the first things on the chopping block" she said.

"Let's not gut the defense budget in a time of multiple conflicts and let's not entrust the powers of the federal government and one-party rule to Obama, Pelosi and Reid," she said, in a swipe at presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Joined on the stage by her husband, Todd, daughters Willow and Piper -- the latter dressed for Halloween as a snow queen -- and infant son Trig, she told the crowd, "It's great to be here in the land of Arnold Palmer," noting that the first house she ever bought with her husband in Alaska was on Arnold Palmer Drive.

She was also flanked by former Gov. Tom Ridge and pro football Hall of Famer and Aliquippa native Mike Ditka, who "knows everything about winning," said Mr. Ridge.

In his familiar blustery style, Mr. Ditka declared himself a conservative Republican and said Mrs. Palin epitomized "all the good things about this country. She will make a great vice president.

"This is a land of opportunity, not a land of handouts," Mr. Ditka growled. " If you're willing to work, you can find a job."

Acknowledging that Mr. Obama has been drawing large numbers to his rallies in recent weeks, Ms. Palin said, "Now the rousing speeches of our opponent, we realize they can fill a stadium, [but] they cannot keep a country safe. For a season, a man can inspire with his words, but for a lifetime, [Sen.] John McCain has inspired with his trustworthy and heroic deeds."

Citing Mr. McCain's bona fides for the Republican presidential nomination as a maverick and battler against corruption, she attacked Mr. Obama's economic plan as "socialism."

"Sen. Obama has an ideological commitment to higher taxes," she said, drawing boos from the audience and cheers when she invoked Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher, who has become a staple in the Republican duo's speeches ever since he confronted Mr. Obama about tax policy in Toledo, Ohio, a few weeks ago.

In recent days, Ms. Palin and Mr. McCain have been targeting older, white working-class voters, mostly women without a college degree in households under $60,000 a year. A campaign memo this week described them as "Wal-Mart women."

Many voters answering to that description could be found at yesterday's rally. Judy Lloyd, 67, of New Alexandria, spent 27 years as an employee of a Sears store in Greensburg before retiring. She's a registered Democrat who voted for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary.

"I think she's fantastic," Ms. Lloyd said of Ms. Palin. "She's the future for our girls and women. She gives us a chance to get inside the door and sweep the good old boys out forever. I would love it if she's the nominee in four years. We have to get a woman in the White House."

Gerry Houston, 61, of Trafford, works in the produce department of the Shop 'n Save in Monroeville. She cited energy independence as her top issue.

"We need to drill, baby, drill," said Ms. Houston. "I love her. She talks like I talk, she walks like I walk, she thinks like I think, on every issue."

Ms. Palin had plenty of male admirers, too. Rick Smith, 53, Youngwood, shook his head grimly at the prospect of a Democratic victory Tuesday.

"I believe wholeheartedly that if Sen. Obama becomes our president, we'll be a failing, failing nation," said Mr. Smith, who works in a small machine shop in Latrobe.

He came out to see Ms. Palin because, he said, "she's the greatest. She's far more educated than Obama. She's not gotten a fair shake from the media. They've tried to make her a buffoon, which is not fair. She's well educated and done a good job in the state of Alaska."

As soon as the rally for Ms. Palin ended, the Democratic National Committee held a news conference at the same site featuring military veterans and Republican supporters of the Obama-Biden ticket, while Gov. Ed Rendell issued an official Democratic response to her criticisms of Mr. Obama's tax policy.

"John McCain and Sarah Palin's desperate, dishonest attacks don't change the fact that the McCain-Palin tax plan will provide more giveaways to the big oil companies and CEOs but will leave out 4.7 million Pennsylvania households," Rendell said. "The scariest thing this Halloween isn't that a John McCain administration will follow the same economic policies as George Bush -- it's that it will be far worse."

Ms. Palin then hopped on a campaign bus and headed east across the state with numerous stops planned along the way, including Somerset -- where she toured a large machine shop and met with employees -- Breezewood and Mechanicsburg, ending with a rally in York before flying to Florida.

One of the workers at the Somerset shop, Jeremy Stultz, 20, of Davidsville, said he plans to vote for Mr. McCain.

"I like the views that McCain and Palin have because they seem more realistic than what Obama brings to the table," said Mr. Stultz, who added that he specifically prefers Mr. McCain's health care plan.