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Bruce Springsteen & Celebs Line Up For Candidates

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Bruce Springsteen fans lined up early Friday outside the Obama campaign office in the Strip District to get free tickets to Saturday's Springsteen concert at Soldiers & Sailors in support of President Obama.

Kerry Jevsevar of Etna waited three hours for his freebie.

"He's a favorite artist of mine but this is participating in the democratic process, so this is a win-win," he told KDKA political editor Jon Delano.

Springsteen -- who appeared in Parma, Ohio last week -- is just the latest example of celebrities campaigning for their candidates.

Remember Clint Eastwood's prime time appearance for Governor Romney last August?

The Romney bus tour in western Pennsylvania Friday featured local Steelers great Lynn Swann, all part of the effort to encourage local Republican volunteers to keep at it.

"You have been phenomenal, and you will continue to be great to make that effort," Swann told volunteers in Green Tree.

The Obama campaign hopes Springsteen inspires more volunteers, too.

"The people who are getting these tickets are really lucky, and we hope they will repay Bruce's favor of this free show by coming out and volunteering a few hours with the campaign," says Sophie Meyers, a local Obama organizer.

The stakes are high -- Republican national chair Reince Preibus, in Pittsburgh as part of the Romney bus tour, says Pennsylvania is winnable for Romney.

"We have already, on the ground, committed more resources to Pennsylvania than the party has ever done in '08, '04," said Preibus.

But Obama booster John Fetterman, Braddock's mayor, says Springsteen and Obama connect here.

"It's no surprise that someone who has consistently been for the middle and working class like Bruce has would come down squarely on Obama's side," adds Fetterman.

Doors for the free Springsteen concert at Soldiers & Sailors in Oakland will open at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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