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DES MOINES, Iowa -- President Obama returned to the state where his quest for the presidency began, hosting a backyard discussion Wednesday where he defended the steps his administration has taken to get the economy back on track.
The event at the home here before a crowd of 70 locals marked the third stop on his four-state campaign tour aimed at energizing his Democratic base ahead of the November midterm elections, just five weeks away. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie were also in attendance at the discussion, as the president sought to spell out the difference between his party's approach to the country's problems and the Republican Party's approach, especially when it comes to helping the middle class, which he called "the beating heart of our economy."
He said the November election represented a choice between Democrats and a party that was offering "the same policies that from 2001 to 2009 put off hard problems and didn't really speak honestly to the American people about how we're going to get this country on track over the long term."
To illustrate his point, Obama said the GOP's focus on retaining costly tax cuts for the rich did not make sense coming from a party purportedly concerned about the deficit.
"You can't say you want to balance the budget, deal with our deficit, invest in our kids and have a $700 billion tax cut that effects only 2% of the population," he said.
The president has spent the past two days stepping up his rhetoric against the opposition in the hopes of inspiring people who supported him two years ago to head back to the polls.
After speaking for a few minutes about his administration's accomplishments, the president took questions from the group assembled under the shade of enormous trees in a spacious backyard here, addressing topics like the challenges young college graduates are facing finding jobs, the high cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, health care and small businesses.
Such free-wheeling and wide-ranging discussions have been relatively rare in recent months, but the administration believes this more intimate setting helps the president to better connect with voters. At one point in the morning question-and-answer session, the president was asked why he was pressuring China to let its currency gain value by a small business owner who believed doing so could hurt American businesses.
"The reason I'm pushing China on their currency is because their currency is undervalued," he said. "I think people generally think that they are managing their currency in ways that make our goods more expensive to sell and their goods cheaper to sell here and that contributes -- that's not the main reason for our trade imbalance -- but its a contributing factor."
Obama held similar backyard events in Albuquerque, NM, on Tuesday, in Fairfax, VA, last week and in Columbus, OH, last month. Later on Wednesday, the president heads to yet another backyard in Richmond, VA.
The trip to Des Moines followed a stop last night at the University of Wisconsin, where a rally drew more than 26,000 people, according to campus police. At that event, the president warned what would happen if young people allowed apathy and disappointment to keep them from the polls, all but ensuring a Republican takeover of Congress.
"I need you fired up," he told the crowd. "We need you to stay fired up, because there is an election on Nov. 2nd that's going to say a lot about the future -- your future and the future of our country."
The White House is betting events like the college rally and the backyard discussions the president has been holding will help recapture the magic of a campaign that defied all expectations by drawing thousands of new voters into the political process.
"The biggest mistake we could make right now is to let disappointment or frustration lead to apathy and indifference; that is how the other side wins," Obama told the Madison, WI, crowd. "Make no mistake: If the other side does win, they will spend the next two years fighting for the very same policies that led to this recession in the first place, the same policies that left the middle class behind for more than a decade, the same policies that we fought so hard for to change in 2008."
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It is very plain that the GOP has no intention whatsoever of helping this economy, especially in light of their refusal to sign a Bill that would stop the GOP from sending American Jobs overseas.
Republicans want the enconomy in the crapper, they want to keep America and the American People hurting, and they want to keep us down and hold us back from making even one step forward because they believe that is what will help them win.
In spite of the fact that it's the GOP who hurt America in the first place, and in spite of the fact that it's Republicans who are holding the American People back, the GOP is convinced the American People believe it's Obama's fault, and not theirs.
Republicans apparently think this is the only way they can regain power, and no American family, no American life is too great for them to sacrifice.
Do Republicans really need the GOP? Of course not.
Republicans just seem to be addicted to thugs and henchmen.
I'm pretty sure that Grassley from Iowa said that it would cut jobs....that was the reasoning for the Republicans to vote no.
I'm still trying to figure that one out!!!
Me too. But then again, this is the man who said during the health care debate that even if he got every amendment he asked for, he still would not vote for it. Then why was he even at the table.
The things they say, and do, defy logic. Well there you have it.
Republicans suck. Democrats good.
Wow, only two posts on this and both are dumb.
Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats in Congress still do not get it and probably never will:
The American people and American small business want lower taxes for EVERYONE while Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats will raise taxes on some and probably everyone to pay for the reckless spending they put in place.
The American people and American small business want smaller government while Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats have and plan to continue to greatly increase the size of government.
The American people and American small business want less government intervention into their lives and private affaires while Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats will continue to expand onerous regulation which raises costs, reduces the standard of living, and inhibits job growth.
The American people and American small business did not want the so-called healthcare reform while Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats continue to ignore how this law will cost the American people and small businesses more, reduce choice in healthcare, and restrict access to healthcare for many people.
The current Administration and current Congress must realize a large portion of the American people are fed up with high taxes, big government, and obtrusive government meddling in the private lives of people, business, and the economy. The American people what lower taxes, lower government spending, and smaller government.
As long as our government continues the reckless spending, high taxes, and unprecedented meddling with businesses, we cannot expect real long term growth.
The Congress and current Administration have put the country on a course of reckless government spending that has mortgaged the future of all Americans especially future generations. The only way to fix this long term structural problem is to create a pro-growth atmosphere for business. To do this we must reduce taxes NOW. How many different taxes does a business or individual pay on a regular basis? We must eliminate number and complexity of all these taxes and reduce the tax burden.
We also need to end the micro-management of business and the economy. Until we GREATLY reduce the tax burden on business and consumers and remove the senseless regulations that accomplish little in relation to the cost they impose, our future is bleak.
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER...VOTE THEM OUT!!!
Angry Mob voter.... Where were you before 2008????? If you look at facts.. and I know FOX doesn't present them to you.... Taxes are LOWER for most americans since 2008.... The budget had its biggest turnaround in history under the previous administration... about 500 billion surplus to a 1.3 trillion Deficit.... when adding in the 2 wars to the budget.....
If you just don't like Obama, then state that.... don't continue to spew talking points from FOX news and the radical right....
I am the last of a dying breed..... Moderate, sensable, republican..... Instead of voting out Dems, vote out all who are lying, disgraceful, and unworthy... no matter the party...
The american people and the small business owners will make their feelings known on election day. I dont believe that they elected you as an individual to speak for what we want. How do you know what we want?
"and obtrusive government meddling in the private lives of people,"
Who has meddled more in the private lives of citizens than the past administration with the so called homeland security act which is nothing more than big brother is totally watching?
You post is your opinion and should be stated as that and not represented as what the American people want.
BP Oil Spill in the Gulf - 11 dead who knows how many animals birds and fish, VA mining collapse 29 miners dead, salmonella tainted eggs - 1200 sickened, pipe line explodes in a resential area - 7 dead. These have happened in the last year. I want regulations so that I am safer. It is easier for corporations to slide on safety for the workers and the environment because it saves them money. But at what cost.
I don't want the bedroom police determining what I do in my private, personal life. I resent that my emails and phone conversations may have been monitored in the name of homeland security. That is government involved in private lives of "we the people" brought to us by the Republicans.
Vote for the good Democrats or Republicans. Ones that will listen to the people and not have those crazy ideas.
AngryMobVoter just did a cut and paste of his post from a few days ago. Nothing new, just a troll witout a brain posting the exact same lies day after day.
STTS
The American people want less government, lower taxes, and less intrusion into their private lives. Of course Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats in Congress still do not get it. Will they understand it after the elections when many of them are faced with looking for work like so many other Americans they have let down. In their arrogance I doubt they will get it even then. We are facing massive tax INCREASES or inflation to pay for the reckless spending of Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats. It is your children who will be stuck with this bill. Those who support Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats will be responsible for handing this burden to the next generation.
The American people now see how dysfunctional and wasteful our government is.
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER...VOTE THEM OUT!!!
And he defended it very well,Ditto Heads....What a mess Cheney left the American people....
The mess, bob, was left by the 110th. Congress, under the same"leadership?" as the current one!!!
Ted,
You are correct it was left by the 110th Congress but it was created by the 108th and 109th Congress.
tedcrawford,
The other thing that you neglected to mention is the mess, began when this current lot of Republicans and former Pres Bush went drunk on spending with 2 unfunded wars, a new bureaucracy called homeland security, the no child left behind bill and the most ever unpopular fix to medicare part D.
Ahh, "big debt" Chet?