NPR. This is the indicator from Planet Money, I'm Waylon Wong.

And I'm Patty Hirsch.

There is a big fight going on in Pennsylvania right now about the future of US Steel,

which recently agreed to sell itself to a Japanese firm called Nippon Steel for $15 billion.

And the fight has arranged itself in an interesting way, not left against right the way it might have a decade ago, but economists against politicians.

The economists are for it. They say the deal will save jobs.

Politicians oppose the deal on the grounds that American manufacturers should stay American.

But there are loads of American companies that are owned by foreigners, right?

Like Firestone?

Japanese.

Anhouser Bush? Belgian Brazilian.

And Ben and Jerry's?

The iconic ice cream company is owned by the Brits.

I'm going to throw it into the ocean. Not as long as it's not pistachio.

So why the resistance to foreign ownership now?

Well, here's the thing.

US Steel is based in Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania is a so-called

Battleground State, one of the very few in the nation that is hotly

contested in this upcoming presidential election.

Which raises the question, is the opposition to the US Steel Deal really about economics and jobs and national security?

Or is it about politics and perception,

trying to win precious votes at any cost?

...