President Barack Obama addresses residents of Elkhart, Ind.. at Concord Community High School (Tribune photo by Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune )
by Peter Nicholas
ELKHART, Ind. - Returning to campaign form today, President Barack Obama left behind the fractious debate in Washington over his stimulus package, flying to this struggling middle-American city to deliver a message that the economy may never fully recover if the plan isn't passed.
Obama also used the forum to make a veiled swipe at Republicans, suggesting the minority party is offering "the same failed ideas that got us into this mess in the first place.''
With Congress still negotiating details of the $800 billion-plus plan, Obama urged speedy completion of the bill. He got a largely enthusiastic reception from the 2,500 people in attendance, though there was an undercurrent of unease in the gymnasium bleachers.
As Obama walked on stage, a lone voice in the crowd implored the president to create new jobs. In the past year, unemployment in the city - a center of RV manufacturing -- has jumped from 4.7 percent to more than 15 percent.
In his opening remarks, the president cautioned that "if we don't act immediately,'' unemployment across the country will rise, and "our nation will sink into a crisis that, at some point, we may be unable to reverse.''
Obama's trip marked the start of a road show that continues Tuesday with a visit to Fort Myers, Fla. - another region hit with high unemployment and home mortgage foreclosures.
The president will get a bit of bipartisan validation when he arrives in Fort Myers: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has agreed to introduce Obama, the White House announced Monday.
Behind the presidential trips is a White House calculation that the messy argument over components of the stimulus plan has proved to be a diversion, according to a presidential aide. By leaving Washington and speaking to Americans enduring the brunt of the economic downturn, Obama hopes to redirect attention to the need for the stimulus in the first place, the aide said.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, en route to Indiana, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said: "This is not explaining to Indiana what's going on in Washington. This is taking Washington to show them what's going on in Indiana and all over the country - and why people are hurting.''
Some who came to the event said they were hopeful the stimulus would work -- though they were skeptical of the size.
Cesar Pincheira, 73, a retired engineer from Elkhart, said the spending is "not 100 percent good, but it's better than doing nothing.''
"We have to do something,'' he continued,'' I have too many friends out of work.''
(Obama in Elkhart. Tribune photos by Zbigniew Bzdak)
Barry Fox, 53, said he has "mixed emotions'' about the stimulus. He worries about the "pork'' in the bill, but says the country must act.
"There's stuff in (it) that I do not like. But at the same time, I don't think that we can afford to not do anything,'' said Fox, a longtime Republican who voted for Obama in the general election in November.
Obama's first presidential trip outside Washington to see ordinary Americans had the flavor of a campaign event. The crowd roared when he arrived on stage, chanting "O-BA-MA.''
But there were a few hitches. His microphone stopped working at one point, forcing him to search for a back-up. When he opened up the event for questions, he made a point of noting that no one had been pre-screened. One woman he called upon asked about the well-publicized missteps over his Cabinet nominations.
She described Obama's Cabinet as "not trustworthy,'' citing the dispute over several prominent nominees shown to have tax debts. The crowd booed her question.
She then suggested Obama have a beer with conservative pundit Sean Hannity.
More booing.
Obama echoed the apologies he made last week in a series of national TV interviews.
The president said he "made a mistake,'' adding he doesn't want to "send the signal that there are two sets of rules:'' one for people who diligently pay taxes, another for those who don't.''
As for a drink with Hannity, Obama said: "I will take that under advisement. Generally, his opinion of me does not seem to be very high. But I'm always good for a beer.''
Using communication techniques honed during the campaign, Obama sought to personalize the stimulus debate. He was introduced not by any of the Indiana politicians in the crowd, but by a laid off RV plant worker from Elkhart, 62-year-old Ed Neufeldt.
The president ticked off ways the stimulus would help Indiana residents who have been laid off.
Obama mentioned an extra $100 per month in unemployment insurance, government subsidies to make temporary health insurance less costly and more job training.
"This is not just our moral responsibility - to lend a helping hand to our fellow Americans in times of emergency - it also makes good economic sense,'' Obama said. "If you don't have money, you can't spend it.''
Comments
I know I have said this before, but what a breath of fresh air Obama is over the last administration. You've got the dems out there proposing new ideas, passing legislation, and then there are the pugs, who lie, lie, lie to us and Cheyney telling us the world is coming to an end, and the pug congress trying to be obstructionists.....the world is looking better and better every day.
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 9, 2009 3:51 PM
Economy may never recover if "the plan" isn't passed? Which plan is that? The Obama team's original plan? The (horrible) House plan? The Senate plan that isn't yet completed? The devil is in the details. Tell us how exactly this stimulus is going to spend our money, then ask for our support. What Obama is doing now is basically asking for blind support for any stimulus bill, regardless of what it says.
Obama also says he wants the parties to put politics aside, then talks about the "same failed policies of the last 8 years that got us into this mess". It's always hard to tell with His Vagueness, but I assume he is talking about tax cuts, as that seems to be the division between Dems and Reps on the stimulus bill (e.g., spending v. tax cuts). If that is the case, and he is serious and not merely engaging in partisan rhetoric, then two questions: (1) If tax cuts are the problem causing the current economic crisis, why is he not pushing to reverse the Bush tax cuts immediately?; and (2) Why did his original stimulus plan consist of hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts/rebates, if tax cuts are indeed the evil that is causing economic gloom?
Posted by: Herbie H. | February 9, 2009 3:58 PM
Sean Hannity is not a conservative pundit. He is a partisan Republican commentator. He has never once mentioned all of the money stolen or wasted during the Iraq war. Why is he only interested in the killing a stimulus package that will be implemented to help Americans? He seems unpatriotic to me.
Posted by: pd | February 9, 2009 3:59 PM
"She described Obama's Cabinet as "not trustworthy,'' citing the dispute over several prominent nominees shown to have tax debts. The crowd booed her question.
She then suggested Obama have a beer with conservative pundit Sean Hannity.
More booing."
What a bunch of 'mature adults'. At least Obama is considering keeping one promise, but having a beer with someone doesn't really help the country.
Posted by: Hunter | February 9, 2009 4:04 PM
Personally, I think the Obama administration hasn't been effective enough so far. A lot of promises were made during the campaign, and right now there are a lot of promises he hasn't fulfilled.
For example, Seany Hannity and Druggy Rush promised me that if Obama was elected, he would make us a Muslim nation and force us all to pray to Mecca five times a day. Yet I haven't seen Obama lift one finger toward this promise. Someone else promised me that Obama would enslave the white race if he was elected. Does Obama think enslaving white people is going to be easy? This is one of those things you have to get accomplished early, while you still have the mandate of public support on your side! I also see no movement toward promises that Obama would round up all our guns, replace all our Bibles with the Quran, or appoint terrorists to his Cabinet.
Mr President, why haven't we seen these changes that Hannity and Rush promised us you'd make yet?!?!
Posted by: Dittohead | February 9, 2009 4:05 PM
actually, it's not as bad as the recessions of the 70's and 80's, neither of which were "cured" by the magic of spending trillions and saddling our children with even more debt. could a reporter at least point out the irony of putting the laid off RV worker out there for sympathy at the same time as you are driving a stake into the heart of the industry?
Posted by: Ed | February 9, 2009 4:11 PM
The last eight years were great for the Rush and Hannity blowhard types Why would they want our country to succeed, when they benefit so much from its decline?
Every time you give their arguments the benefit of the doubt, you get slapped in the face by just how much of their Republican ideology is rooted in selfishness and greed.
I've yet to meet a happy Republican. They're always angry, always defensive, always cowering in fear of an apocalypse, always playing the victim card while being egged on by their overlords on Faux News and AM Hate radio. Just watching a video of Rush or Hannity is enough to make any sensible person laugh out loud at the sheer stupidity of their ideas.
Posted by: Hey Joe | February 9, 2009 4:33 PM
Have a drink with Sean Vannity? I rather get hemroids!
Posted by: bill r. | February 9, 2009 4:41 PM
I've tried to look this up and am having no luck. I feel really dumb asking but who do individual citizens contact to protest this plan? Senate? Representatives? I think maybe me and a lot of other people got interested in the vote but don't really know what goes on after that point... any help would be appreciated.
Posted by: Ren | February 9, 2009 4:49 PM
In his opening remarks, the president cautioned that "if we don't act immediately,'' unemployment across the country will rise, and "our nation will sink into a crisis that, at some point, we may be unable to reverse.''
I prefer to think that this will be our finest hour.
Posted by: Apollo 13 | February 9, 2009 5:08 PM
"Obama: No time to wait"
Gee, that's funny....
Posted by: bdd | February 9, 2009 5:12 PM
Nothing in this article refers to this being the worst economic crisis since the Depression as your web page promotion states. If Obama said that, he reveals a remarkable ignorance of history. The Jimmy Carter recession of the 70s saw interest rates rise to 22 percent and home buying ability plummet to near nothing. The unemployment rate was near 9 percent. Unemployment in the Depression, under another Democrat president, topped 25 percent.
Posted by: Hamilton | February 9, 2009 5:13 PM
"As for a drink with Hannity, Obama said: "I will take that under advisement. Generally, his opinion of me does not seem to be very high. But I'm always good for a beer.''
This readiness to consider sitting down and talk with someone who does not share the same viewpoint is one of the reasons I admire President Obama! Some others would just write Hannity off with a "I don't like him" remark!
Posted by: Rita Brunn | February 9, 2009 5:16 PM
did any one of the folks think to ask what Obama was going to do to bring back the RV industry? did one think to ask how he could in good conscience ask our children to pay for the plan? or were their questions of no higher level than would be asked by news reporters?
Posted by: Ed | February 9, 2009 5:16 PM
Thank God. B. Hussein has actually done away with the politics of fear, and is not scaring people into supporting his sweet stimulus package. Which, by the way, does very little to stimulate anything other than democratic pet projects.
Thanks Hope-N-Change! You make everything alright.
Posted by: Chris | February 9, 2009 5:25 PM
Worst since the Depression? Was Barry living in Malaysia during the Jimmy Carter years?
Posted by: GT | February 9, 2009 5:27 PM
Thank God. B. Hussein has actually done away with the politics of fear, and is not scaring people into supporting his sweet stimulus package. Which, by the way, does very little to stimulate anything other than democratic pet projects.
Thanks Hope-N-Change! You make everything alright.
Posted by: Chris | February 9, 2009 5:34 PM
Great new ideas! Take tax dollars and buy RVs! I think they did that in 'Stripes".
Obama's ideas are to rip people off, and claim he is helping, and when it fails, he will blame everyone but himself.
Since he is the best person in the world, one has to wonder why he does not ram through his perfect ideas. There is nothing stopping him, so why even bother.
Posted by: Dan C | February 9, 2009 5:42 PM
Some others would just write Hannity off with a "I don't like him" remark!
Posted by: Rita Brunn | February 9, 2009 5:16 PM
As would Vannity....please......
Posted by: bill r. | February 9, 2009 5:51 PM
Why the "doomsday/fear" scenario? What about America's "resolve" that was highly touted during the campaign? It seems to me that these two items are polar opposites of one another.
Before we, as a nation, make up our minds on this proposal, we need to ask ourselves one very simple question. How does the current proposal create/support businesses and subsequent employment? I think this question is the most important one because these businesses and jobs will provide some of the future tax revenue required to put the money back into our national account.
If the number of jobs/businesses created is too little, then all we're really doing is paying ourselves with our own tax money. And what's the point of that? And if this is what our Senate is pondering, then why are we trying to rush/bully them?
It's important to remember that once this money is spent, it is gone until it's recuperated in the form of taxes. And how long does it take to pay back 1 Trillion dollars (give or take)?
Posted by: ethan | February 9, 2009 5:53 PM
If Sean Hannity has the answers, why does not he run for Senate, Congress, or some other influential office. The GOP has no problem supporting Chicken Hawks full of empty blabber. He babbles empty solutions, but will not take an office in government to implement them.
Posted by: Larry Linn | February 9, 2009 5:59 PM
It isn't up to Obama to bring back the RV industry. It's up to the RV industry to create a product that Americans value enough to purchase responsibly w/out mortgaging themselves to the hilt.
What do you think got this country into this mess? People taking out huge second loans irresponsibly to buy such "necessities" as RVs, and vacation condos, and cars, etc.
The world has changed. No longer are people going to be able to afford driving around in gas guzzling gargantuan RVs.
If the RV industry doesn't adapt to make their product energy efficient and practical, well, jobs are lost and companies go out of business.
That's capitalism. And the people that lose their jobs - while I am totally sympathetically - have to be trained and/or educated to do jobs that add current value to the economy.
Building RVs hardly qualifies.
Posted by: Chris | February 9, 2009 6:03 PM
Ethan....The estimated tax revenue for 09 is 2 trillion 699 billion.
Posted by: bill r. | February 9, 2009 6:30 PM
My greatest fears are coming home to roost.
I was not concerned about Obama, even though I did not vote for him or McCain, I voted for myself as VP and a friend as President. My greatest fear was Obama with Nacy Pelosie and Harry Reid in office. I live in Calf and know these two very well.
So now it is apparent they are in control and I can assure you we are in deep deep trouble if Obama does not stop them, They don't care as the democrates have always done they will screw the black man and blame it on old rich white guys.
Posted by: Robert Tussey | February 9, 2009 6:37 PM
My greatest fears are coming home to roost.
I was not concerned about Obama, even though I did not vote for him or McCain, I voted for myself as VP and a friend as President. My greatest fear was Obama with Nacy Pelosie and Harry Reid in office. I live in Calf and know these two very well.
So now it is apparent they are in control and I can assure you we are in deep deep trouble if Obama does not stop them, They don't care as the democrates have always done they will screw the black man and blame it on old rich white guys.
Posted by: Robert Tussey | February 9, 2009 6:37 PM
Our ship is sinking and I have ten men to fix it.
I'll put one man on fixing the leak and the other nine will begin painting decks.
But we must act fast, so fast that no one knows what we're doing. Don't allow any questions. If they question the painting tell them that they don't appreciate art.
Posted by: Greg | February 9, 2009 6:47 PM
Ed, and anyone else that thinks this is not as bad as the 80's depression.....do you have some x-ray glasses that see into the future? What an ignorant statement to make while in the juvenile stages of a really big depression. This depression has already broke MANY all time records, both in Wall Street and in Gov. numbers. Quite listening to AM radio and turn off faux news if you want to learn some facts.
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 9, 2009 8:04 PM
Any idiot who can't even spell the name of the former Vice President, Richard Cheney (not Cheyney -- see comment by Xcellentform), should keep their thoughts -- and I use the term very loosely -- to themselves.
Posted by: BillyBob | February 9, 2009 8:39 PM
80's depression? Now that's a hoot. The 80's were great and the country prospered....
Maybe you had in mind the 70's when Jimmy Carter introduced the world to the term "misery index" and stagflation!
Obama = Jimmy Carter II
Posted by: PDiddy | February 9, 2009 9:16 PM
I get a kick out all of the Wingnuts on here who still think they're scoring points by bringing up Jimmy Carter's name and trying to tie him to Pres Obama, who has only been in office for 2 1/2 weeks.
There are at least three generations of voters out there who hardly even know who Jimmy Carter is and they really don't care. They've grown up watching BushCo and the Republicans destroy anything and everything they've touched and they're tired of it.
I predict that someday soon the GOP will die of old age.
Posted by: Beam Me Up, Scottie! | February 9, 2009 10:02 PM
Obama also used the forum to make a veiled swipe at Republicans, suggesting the minority party is offering "the same failed ideas that got us into this mess in the first place.'' ~ F.J.
----------------------------------
did any one of the folks think to ask what Obama was going to do to bring back the RV industry?
Posted by: Ed | February 9, 2009 5:16 PM
Ed is on the target. The thing that would revive Elkhart is for folks in the Swamp and outside of the Swamp to decide that they need an RV in their driveway. What good democrat would really want that to happen? Evil RVs, running up and down the highway, burning hydrocarbons, spewing out carbon dioxide AND nitrous oxides, doing the work of pretty Latinas ~ global warming the planet. What democrat would be for this?
Now if this were Scranton, Pa, you would have Proctor & Gamble looking to make their evil, wasteful, CONSUMABLE paper, products, burning electricity, polluting river systems with spent acid water, spewing out carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, doing the work of pretty Latinas ~ global warming the entire planet. What good democrat would be for this?
Now if this were Houston....
Well, "hopefully" there won't be any stimuli package shortages. Every city and town in America will surely be needing one. Just trying to understand the 'new, successful democrat economic ideas that will get us out of this mess in the last place'.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | February 9, 2009 10:16 PM
Well, "hopefully" there won't be any stimuli package shortages. Every city and town in America will surely be needing one. Just trying to understand the 'new, successful democrat economic ideas that will get us out of this mess in the last place'.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | February 9, 2009 10:16 PM
..........
Texas Clown,
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that it is confusing to people to actually see a Pres and a party (Dem) that are trying to fix problems instead of the greedy war criminals that you supported (BushCo) who went around breaking things and stealing from the middle-class for eight years. OH NO!!!
I'm enjoying watching your Repug party swirl down the toilet, Tex.
Posted by: Beam Me Up, Scottie! | February 9, 2009 10:30 PM
I'm enjoying watching your Repug party swirl down the toilet, Tex.
Posted by: Beam Me Up, Scottie! | February 9, 2009 10:30 PM
--------------
Not a problem, koolaid drinking dude. It's a "hope" and "change" thing and he's got the whole wide world in his hands. I'm having fun too. Kumbayah.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | February 9, 2009 10:54 PM
Really, too much shock drama here. Spend 20 trillion or else!!!!!
Posted by: Ralph | February 10, 2009 12:07 AM
Has anyone actually read the stimulus bill? The last I heard from a senator was that it was about 93 percent pork and special ear marks, and 7 percent toward job creation that would take time to implement, not a quick fix. I was shocked that Obama lied about there being no pork in in the bill. How dare some people boo when that woman said she felt his cabinet nominees were untrustworthy because they didn't pay all their taxes. Not only did they not pay until caught, but they were allowed not to pay any penalty, an option not given to regular citizens. Sec. of the Treasury Geithner committed a crime by accepting money for his taxes and signing a form swearing he would use the money for his taxes. This does not bother Obama in the least. When people are fearful enough, they will grasp at straws with socialism written all over them. This bill is too important to be rushed. Let's not repeat the mistake made with the last bank bail-out that Geithner helped engineer that resulted in more taxpayer debt and hoarding by banks. What is done in haste often results in waste.
Posted by: speak the truth | February 10, 2009 12:16 AM
Hope and change replaced by fear mongering and threats? Say it's not so? PO the JC Superstar where have you gone?
Posted by: Pragmatic | February 10, 2009 12:21 AM
I'm enjoying watching your Repug party swirl down the toilet, Tex.
Posted by: Beam Me Up, Scottie! | February 9, 2009 10:30 PM
Scottie tissues : Rassmussen reports generic cong. voting rose 4% for the GOP since the "empty suit" got in ..it must of been his terrific cabinet picks, and his deft handling of the Govt. giveaways that he's trying to sell as stimulis, and we haven't even got to the Ballerina Rahms' 21 hours of conversation with the Blago meister yet. There's something swirling down the toilet alright, and it looks a lot like "jackasses"
Posted by: Don B. | February 10, 2009 1:10 AM
All you public skrewl idiots are only parrots repeating what you have heard preached to you all these years.
Get a clue!
Yes Nobama has only been in office 2.5 weeks..and YES the stock market has had its LARGEST drop after a president was sworn in...and YES Iran, Russia, North Korea and China have already sized up this Nobama moron and realize that he is nothing more than what we have said all along...an empty suit
This guy, Nobama, that you libbies all worship is going to take this country socialist, or worse, communist. You cheer?
You know not of what you speak and your joy over what Nobama reads every time he steps up to the podium only reinforces your ignorance.
Calling those of us that are posting things to any forum names and attacking proves the point that liberals are not inclusive. Liberals are nothing more than phony bigots.
YOU are and you KNOW it.
Own it.
Posted by: Tiger184 | February 18, 2009 3:58 PM