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Subscribe to RSSBETTENSDORF, Iowa -- President Obama visited the Alcoa aluminum plant here in a trip meant both to highlight his administration's new manufacturing initiatives and check in with a key 2012 battleground state.
After touring some of the plant's machinery and products, Obama's began his remarks by noting the flurry of activity in the first caucus state among Republican candidates as they jockey for support and donors.
"I know you've been seeing a lot of politicians around lately. Something tells me that you may see a few more before February is over," Obama told the crowd, reminding them that he and voters in the state "go back a long way."
"We've got some history together, and together were going to make some more history for years to come."
Iowa is a swing state. Obama won it with 54 percent in 2008, but former President George W. Bush won it four years – by less than a percentage point over Sen. John Kerry – and Al Gore won it in 2000.
The president used the appearance at a manufacturing plant to tout his recent pro-manufacturing initiatives, including a program meant to match community college training with local businesses' job needs, and a partnership between universities, corporations and the federal government to share research and development.
His speech sounded more like a stump speech, however. He pledged to "make America the best place for middle class jobs," and, taking a swipe at slow-moving talks over the debt ceiling, contrasted the fast pace of the Alcoa plant to the inertia in the nation's capitol.
"Instead of having the kind of squabbling we see in Washington all the time,” Obama said, “we have to work together the way workers, engineers, the business side of Alcoa thinks together.”
Obama's speech prompted a response from Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who has been trying to gain a foothold in Iowa for arguably the longest out of any other Republican presidential hopefuls.
"Speeches like the one President Obama gave today will not create a single job,” Pawlenty said. “Leadership that is heavy on rhetoric and light on results does not grow our economy. We need a President who will not only talk about making tough choices, but actually has a record of results."
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All the way back to Waterloo? Oh wait, wrong politician.
Leadership that is heavy on rhetoric and light on results does not grow our economy
Which pretty much describes the problem with every single Repulbican loser running for their party's nomination.
To be perfectly precise, "future loser" works best, and would probably offend fewer conservatives.
so you gals are all for on the job training, right?
Anna - you really shouldn't refer to obama as the future loser, it is not nice!
If that doesn't describe the Obama administration to a "T" I don't know what does.......
Oh wait......INEPT
Yeah, that does it.
Yeah...all the way to voting "present" every time.
Yep. Obama and Son of Sam Berkowitz go way back to Ioway. No, wait......
Don't forget John Wayne Gacy. No, wait ... Michele Bachmann owns Gacy.
Doesn't anyone want Ed Gein? How about Jeffrey Dahmer? We'll throw them both in together for a $10 donation to the Scott Walker recall campaign.
Anna -
How come the serial killers in Wisconsin are cannibals? Something in the water?
It's our fresh dairy air and our tasty ... ummmm ... beef.
Putting new meaning on "I have a bone to pick with you". I think next time I am in Milwaukee I'll just have a salad.
So AM it looks like the cops declined to take any action in the Prosser/Bradley kerfluffle.
What the word on the street?
That's not what this says, Spanky.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_a954e5de-a1b4-11e0-8419-001cc4c03286.html
Have a nice evening.
No wait, it was John Wayne Berkowitz from Waterago, Indianois
Iowa always welcomes, President Barack Obama, because we like him (well, not the far right) but everyone else does. Wish I could have been there.
There are about 2200 employees at ALCOA but the area where the President was to speak would only hold 225 people. Each department was given a certain number of tickets and a lottery was held in each. That is a fair way to allow employees to attend, no favoritism. I can tell you from the local news reports last, that ALCOA and its employees were excited. In 2008 and early 2009, ALCOA was like every other company, it had to cut lots of jobs. Last year, all those employees were recalled because the stimulus package boosted their business. This year ALCOA added jobs and have plans to hire even more in the near future.
"Last year, all those employees were recalled because the stimulus package boosted their business."
Yeah, that stimulus worked like magic, didnt it? The unemployment rate is at historically bad levels, and the pork laden stimulus was an outright disaster.
And the Stoogian incompetence of the Democrats may continue..with stimulus 2 ?
Say Jody - how many jobs were recalled due to the stimulus?
Of those, how many remain?
And you say they are adding jobs, is that before or after the stimulus effect is accounted for?
Jody, Iowa,
Thanks for sharing some positive employment info for your state. I'm in Baltimore, MD and I'm happy to
report that our unemployment rate is down from 8.0 to 6.8, a result of the stimulus program as well. As I am retired, I've not been directly impacted negatively, however, I interact with people who have been and are now getting back to work in many areas. As a former supvr at Amtrak and Baltimore City Middle SchoolTeacher, I know of previously furloughed or laid off individuals who have returned to work on the railroad and as teachers
President Obama is well liked by democrats and many republicans here.
I read an article that showed states with Republican governors that slashed spending wound up with higher unemployment, whereas states that made more moderate cuts had less unemplyment, and that included private sector jobs.
where is the stimulas money? where is the taarp money? wall street bail out money?
Is this the summer of recovery? or last year? maybe next year? maybe 2012 when he is finally gone!