By DAVID SKOLNICK

By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Mike Halleck is always campaigning.
When he visits schools or businesses, the Salem Republican who is running in the 6th Congressional District race walks up to people with a smile, a handshake and a quick campaign pitch.
It usually goes: "Hi, I'm Mike Halleck. I'm running for Congress. I'd appreciate your support."
Halleck has done it hundreds of times.
Unable to compete with U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lucasville, his Democratic opponent, for TV advertising time because the incumbent has raised significantly more money than him, Halleck is visiting as many public places as possible to get his name and message out.
This day is no different.
Halleck meets his campaign staff at 8:30 a.m. outside the Mahoning County Republican headquarters on U.S. Route 224.
His entourage is rather large. They include: Ed Miyagishima, his communications director who is taking a leave of absence from his job in hotel sales to work for Halleck; Frank Goetz, his driver who is a disabled veteran and Democrat who has worked against Halleck on previous campaigns; Doug Brannon, a laid-off Columbiana County deputy sheriff who helps coordinate Halleck's schedule; Beth Basista, who handles his marketing and promotions; and Jackie Mong, his college coordinator who is a Mount Union College political science major.
Goetz isn't much of a navigator and constantly needs directions to every campaign stop. He drives Halleck around in his Explorer conversion van, which is filled with Cleveland Browns paraphernalia. The two former rivals who are now friends constantly kid each other throughout the day.
First stop
The first campaign stop is Boardman High School, where Halleck speaks to 100 government class students. Before the 9 a.m. speech, Halleck is warned by a teacher that it's going to be a struggle to get the kids to ask questions of the candidate.
Not exactly.
Halleck's conservative viewpoints touch a nerve with a few of the students, who apparently don't agree with his philosophy. The questions come in rapid fire. The kids want to know Halleck's position on charter schools, gun control, the government infringing on civil liberties, religion in schools, and Iraq.
Halleck answers the questions, and often refers to the positions of Strickland, who he never refers to by name. Instead, he calls him, "my opponent."
"You're tough," Halleck says to one female student.
He drops his first James A. Traficant Jr. reference of the day. Halleck says, "I love our country, but I don't like the government," something the expelled congressman who's serving an eight-year federal prison sentence for bribery and racketeering often said.
Halleck has a respect for Traficant, the former congressman's staff, and obviously, his campaigning style.
At 9:45 a.m., Miyagishima gives Halleck the "cut" signal that time is up.
A local TV crew is waiting for Halleck outside the classroom. After 15 minutes, Halleck is heading for the door. But along the way, he stops and talks to students who were at his presentation and introduces himself to others.
Moving on
From there, it's on to General Extrusions in Boardman. Basista, who handles General Extrusions' advertising account, briefs Halleck on the company as they go inside.
As Halleck takes the tour, he stops every few feet to introduce himself and ask the support of company workers. He's at ease walking up to them and starting conversations. One of Halleck's staffers hands each worker a campaign postcard.
One employee asks Halleck if he is replacing Traficant. "I don't know if anyone can replace him," Halleck responds.
During one conversation, Halleck is told there is a Mike Hallock who works at the company. Intrigued by the idea, Halleck finds him.
Both have mustaches, but Halleck is thinner and shorter than Hallock, a Dick Butkus look-a-like who is wearing a sleeveless shirt. The two immediately hit it off. Halleck thinks the two have to be cousins.
Going to school
Halleck and his entourage leave the company at 11 a.m. and head for Austintown Fitch High School, which is holding a candidates' day. Halleck arrives during lunch time so he heads for the cafeteria for lunch.
Halleck grabs chicken sticks, French fries, a skim milk, a chocolate milk and some kind of pie for dessert. Halleck isn't sure what the pie is, but it has an apple base and isn't particularly tasty. During lunch, he talks with the event's organizer, then heads upstairs to give his speech.
Halleck waits for about 20 minutes while five other candidates running for other offices deliver their speeches. Then it's his turn.
Halleck hits many of the same points in this speech as he did during his Boardman High School presentation. He tells the same story about a teacher he had as a child and her effect on him.
Then it's time for questions.
Unlike Boardman, the Austintown students, who have listened to speeches this day from several other politicians, don't have any questions for Halleck.
Halleck thanks the students and leaves the classroom. Of course, there's always time for campaigning. Halleck talks to several students and teachers asking for their vote on Election Day as he walks out of the high school.
On his way to Pittsburgh Canfield Corp., a Canfield steel coating plant, Halleck recognizes a woman in a red convertible driving along side the van. It's Hillary Voytko, Traficant's former administrative aide. Both roll down their windows and have a brief, friendly conversation. Also on the way, Halleck studies a newspaper article about his congressional race.
Taking a tour
As the van pulls into the plant's parking lot, Halleck pulls out Chapstik, rubs it on his lips and walks inside. He gets the grand tour of the facility, stopping every few minutes to talk to employees about his candidacy.
"The train is ready to go," Basista tells Halleck, pulling him away from a conversation with two employees.
Halleck goes next door to Converse All Steel to tour that plant. The two businesses are separated by a small wooden fence that Halleck opts to go over rather than around.
While touring the plant, Halleck drops another "Traficantism."
"Traficant said it best when he said, 'My dad never worked for a poor man,'" Halleck says to Roger Converse, the company's vice president.
It's about 2:30 p.m. and Halleck is heading for his third plant tour of the day. This one is at Compco Industries in Columbiana.
From there, Halleck meets with seniors at the Commons at Greenbrier. He is met there by his wife of 11 years, Chris, and their 10-year-old daughter, Mariah, who is eager to campaign. They head for a bingo game in Boardman and then meet with college students and other volunteers to hold large signs on U.S. Route 224 and Market Street in Boardman.
Halleck finishes his long day with a couple of TV interviews, starting at 7 p.m.
"Sometimes I'm up 22 hours at a time traveling through this district," he says.