Article: In jobless mecca, politicians apply for work.(Front)

By Fredrick Kunkle

The Washington Post

MARTINSVILLE

No one in this tiny Southwest Virginia mill town likes to be reminded of its tough luck, or its distinction of having the highest jobless rate in Virginia.

But there is a pushy group of job seekers who won't let anyone forget.

Politicians.

Ever since this city's textile and furniture plants collapsed a decade or so ago, political candidates of all persuasions have arrived for campaign stops that sometimes resemble bedside visits to a critically ill patient. The message is straightforward: In their hands, even the sickest will become well.

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