Tony Barr teaches high-school students with learning difficulties in the heart of Pennsylvania, the state's ninth Congressional District. A dedicated progressive, Barr has taken on the thankless task of bringing critical issues to public attention in one of the most conservative areas of the state.

And he has done well. Running twice against the legacy congressman (his father also represented the district) Bill Schuster, Barr has garnered 40% of the vote (almost as a complete unknown) and 36%. Though the numbers are not commanding, they give quite a tribute to Barr, who was running against money and name in a district that has been dominated by Republicans for generations.

ePluribus Media interviewed Barr in 2006. After the election this past fall, we asked Barr if he would be willing to discuss his district for us in light of what he has learned through his activism:

ePMedia Media: You have now been active in politics as a progressive candidate for several election cycles in a district that is distinctly "red." Not only are you fighting a "legacy" congressman, but a conservative tendency among a traditionalist group of people heavily influenced by German and Scots-Irish ancestry. To even keep struggling, you have to learn something about the constituents in your district; to have any chance of any future success, you had to learn to respect them, even when you disagree with them. Since the 2008 election, people like those in your district have come under a lot of fire, a fallout of the progressive euphoria of the Obama victory. Many even say that, now that the liberal side is ascendant, such people can safely be ignored, that they have now been marginalized. What do you, a progressive working within a largely conservative environment, say in response?

Barr: We progressives ignore Appalachia, as well as other "red" areas, at our own peril. A former football coach always said, "We either get better or we get worse. We never stay the same." Obama in his campaign realized this, and as a result, he put substantial resources into organizing the counties in my district.

Elections, I believe, are ultimately about communication. Here in South Central-Western PA there was a huge barrage from the McCain campaign. Nasty "Obama will raise your taxes" ads started in June, NRA "Obama will take your guns" ads aired down the stretch, and Sarah Palin took a trip through the district on the final weekend. All of these played upon people's worst fears.

The big question then is, "What is the best way to promote the progressive message in Appalachia?" "Socialism" scares the daylights out of many here, but everybody needs health insurance. Just this morning, no kidding, teachers in my school received a letter alerting everybody to the fact that a retired school board member discovered while on COBRA that he had cancer of the kidneys. His COBRA coverage is running out, and who is going to cover him now? Stories like this are everywhere in my district. Single Payer health insurance that covers all Americans regardless of age or employment status is the only thing that makes sense, yet we fear "Socialism". We must find ways to combat the right wing noise machine.

We have made some huge strides here in South Central-Western PA, but we haven't achieved all that we wish. We must realize that all of this is process, it's not going to be easy, and we must keep moving forward. Change comes slow. Once we change the paradigm here, I believe that it will stay changed for a number of years. Like JFK said, "We do these things NOT because they are easy...Rather, we do these things because they are hard."

ePMedia Media: Could you give a quick description of the people in South Central-Western PA? Who are they? Who were their parents? What do they do? What are their children doing (staying, leaving)? What makes them different from Americans in, say, Boca Raton, FL? What about them needs to be particularly considered as we, as a nation, try to solve our communal problems? You mentioned health care before, though in a different context. How is the health care situation, as one example, changing the lives in the district?

Barr: The people of SCW PA are older, almost certainly white (~96%), and, generally, poor people. Teachers, middle-of-the-road economically in many other regions of the country, are considered "rich". Historically, the citizens of this district made a living by working on the railroad, family farming, wildcat logging, mining, or manufacturing. At present, "driving truck" and low-wage retail/fast food jobs are taking up some slack. Many maintain residences in the district, but work 4-5 days/week somewhere else (DC for example). Only 9% of the residents of the district have a four-year degree or better compared to ~23% nationwide.

Their children are leaving in droves. In the school district where my wife teaches (the largest in the Congressional District), the graduating class in 1980 was double last year's. In another instance, a guy I talked to while knocking doors told me that in the 90's he came home after 8 years in the Army to a town 2000 people smaller. This would mean that the town lost about half its population. Many people here are sure that PA will lose 2 Congressional seats after the 2010 census.

We ignore these people and this region at our own peril. Their issues are our nation's issues. Outsourced manufacturing, the rise of Agribusiness, the mechanization of mining, and the crippling of the railroad industry have destroyed the economic base. The solutions for the nation as a whole run right through this district. To implement the Green Energy Economy, we need South Central-Western PA. We have wind on our ridge tops, and natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. Most everyone agrees that we need drastic improvements to the electric grid. Those improvements go right through this district, and I have to tell you that they are not popular here.

Why not? Obama hit the nail square on the head with his "cling to Guns and God" comments. Go back and read the actual transcripts. His words have been twisted unmercifully by those that desire power by any means necessary. It, however, doesn't change the fact that these people don't trust government because they have been lied to, ignored, bullied, and cheated. It is really easy to look down at the citizens of this district as a bunch of hicks. Though they may frequently frustrate me, I'll knock somebody on their ass if they put these people down. I've had enough of this divide and conquer mentality. We are all in this together -- Internet user and coal miner, latte-drinker and dairy farmer. "We can either hang together, for surely, we will hang separately," said Benjamin Franklin.

What makes this region different from other regions of the country is that we have little new blood and ideas coming in while we continue to hemorrhage our best and brightest young people. My wife and I are odd balls in that we came from somewhere else and chose to live here. I fell in love with the mountains, forests, and rivers at first. But, the people, with their lack of airs, hospitality, and graciousness made me stick around.

The lack of health insurance is affecting people's lives to the negative. Obesity and the diseases of obesity are prevalent and increasing. People are not getting preventative care and counseling, nor are they getting the medicines that they need to care for these diseases. They can't afford medical care. This is compounded by the fact that many do not have children in the area to help care for them. People end up dying needlessly.

People here need jobs and health insurance. What they really want is a future in the area for their children and grandchildren.

ePMedia Media: There's a great deal of frustration right now in the more conservative areas of the country about what they see as a huge loss for them this election cycle. Liberals felt similar frustration in 2000, of course. As a Democratic administration and Congress prepare for new governance, how could they reach out to the people in your district (and elsewhere), not pandering to them, not watering down their programs, but showing that they really are considering the needs there? How, in other words, could they learn from what the Bush administration didn't do?

Barr: There are a number of things that the incoming Administration and Democratic Congress should do. Policy-wise, energy, job creation, and farm policy are important. Passing universal health insurance and making a college education more affordable would also help. With all of these things, the key is who makes out. Is it Florida Power and Light or do the citizens of townships get some benefit from having the windmills in their backyard? Does the Farm Bill only benefit the Monsantos and Archer-Daniels-Midlands or does it also benefit the family dairy farmer by ensuring a fair price for the milk that he produces? Does everybody get health insurance? Is the care and the payment equitable? Can people afford to send their kids to college?

There is much cynicism regarding government out here, but in my discussions with people while door knocking, the dichotomies I gave above are the big questions. Is there any hope for the common person? The bailout of the banks was tremendously unpopular here because most people saw it as the rich getting bailed out while the poor man gets left with the tab.

We have an interesting paradox here. The people are pretty self-sufficient. If someone in the community gets sick or hurt, the word goes out and huge amounts of help are mobilized. As someone who was on the receiving end of this largess at one point, I have to say it is beautiful and truly humbling. These people take care of their own. Local Democrats, on the other hand, keep looking, and unfortunately, waiting for help from other places. We need to take steps here. This point was a big impetus for my two runs for Congress. What our next move is, I can't say at this point, but the question we are asking is, how can WE improve life in this area by moving the progressive agenda forward.

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ePluribus Media contributors: greyhawk, roxy