President Barack Obama held a "town hall''-styled session today at Fox High School in Arnold., Mo., a swing state that he narrowly lost in November. (Photos by Jeff Roberson / AP)
by Christi Parsons
ARNOLD, Mo. -- Delivering his own progress report on his first 100 days in office, President Barack Obama today told a Missouri audience that things are turning around, but that he is "not a miracle worker" and needs more time to fix what's ailing America.
The president marked his 100th day in office with a stop in what he called "the middle of America," also a battleground state that he narrowly lost in November's elections, a place, he maintained today, where "common sense often reigns."
"You're who I'm working for every day in the White House," Obama told a cheering crowd in Fox High School's auditorium. He offered an update on an assignment that he gave Americans in his inaugural address: "I've come back to report that we have begun to pick ourselves up, and dust ourselves off."
Obama noted a list of economic and other problems, "challenges of unprecedented size and scope" which he hastened to add were waiting for him when he took office.
"After 100 days, I'm pleased with the progress we've made," the president said. "I'm confident of the future, but I'm not content with the present."
The event had the feel of an Obama campaign event, with the president pitching hard for his plans and proposals - health care reform, investment in new energy technology, pay-as-you-go budgeting. The audience, clearly a crowd of supporters, interrupted him with cheers and applause throughout his address and the question-and-answer session that followed.
It also revealed an acceptance that, although the White House still insists the 100-day mark is not a meaningful one, the president has to deal with the analysis that comes with it.
"We're playing along with the game," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to St. Louis.
Obama kicked off a marquis day of appearances with an early morning event at the White House, where he publicly accepted a windfall gift to mark the occasion - the defection of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter from the Republican Party to Democratic ranks. This evening, he plans a prime-time news conference at the White House to discuss the achievements of his tenure and the work to come.
Specter's defection makes the president's job a little easier, because it positions Democrats to wield a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate as they act on his agenda.
At the town hall-styled meeting here, Obama offered an appeal for patience for Americans suffering from the economic recession - and sought support for his solutions.
"I know you've heard, 'Oh, Obama's spending all this money . . . blah, blah, blah," he said. "I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security . . . We are going to have to tighten our belts, but we are going to have to do it intelligently. "
Linda Pleimann, a local hairdresser and former Obama campaign volunteer, introduced the president at the meeting. She has voted for Republicans for president since the 1980s, she said, but voted for Obama because of her family - a husband who works at Anheuser Busch and the six children of their combined family, including a stepson who has served in Iraq.
"I knew I was making the best choice for all of us," Pleimann said. "I'm inspired and moved by President Obama, a leader who is working hard for families like mine."
Comments
The Swamp reporter finds the time to talk with an Obama volunteer, but can't talk to the Tea Bag protestors outside.
About what one would expect of a Swamp reporter.
Posted by: Voted Dem since the 1980s but now voting GOP | April 29, 2009 2:54 PM
Outstanding work, Mr. President!
Posted by: former Republican | April 29, 2009 2:59 PM
A look back at "100 days of NO" from the Republican Party:
No plans
No ideas
No clue
And a small army of drooling extremist Teabaggers as their base. They are the 21st Century Whig Party.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18NSjDI6ILk
Posted by: Hulk SMASH! | April 29, 2009 3:05 PM
Playing along with the game? It's the 100-day mark,and this White House set up a campaign rally, er town hall meeting, and is holding a love-in, er press conference tonight. Seems to me that creating the game, not playing along.
Posted by: John D | April 29, 2009 3:07 PM
It's the 100-day mark,and this White House set up a campaign rally, er town hall meeting, and is holding a love-in, er press conference tonight. Seems to me that creating the game, not playing along.
Posted by: John D | April 29, 2009 3:07 PM
******************
Little Diaper Johnny,
What? Were you expecting Obama to do something like, I don't know, Invade a Country for No Good Reason like your heroes Bush and Cheney did by now?!
Go wave your GOPer teabag somewhere else, Little Johnny.
Posted by: janet | April 29, 2009 5:03 PM
Oh Ignorant, Lame, Clueless, Dumb Dumb Janet: Please state what country Bush and Cheney invaded by their 100th day in office????
By the way Dumb Dumb Janet, er Deranged John E., it seems like Iraq has been going quite well. Seems like the situations in North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia and Iran have deteriorated since Obama became president.
Posted by: John D | April 29, 2009 6:35 PM
Seems like the situations in North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia and Iran have deteriorated since Obama became president.
Posted by: John D | April 29, 2009 6:35 PM
**************
Diaper Johnny,
Iraq never should have happened in the first place and yes Iraq is going to have some sort of a low level civil war there after we leave. It wouldn't matter if we stayed there for 100 years, like your failed Pres candidate McCain wanted to, it would still happen.
That's why it was so stupid of your heroes in BushCo to have trumped up a war over there in the first place, you moron.
You may now return to your delusional GOPer fantasy world, Little Johnny - Class Dismissed!
Posted by: janet | April 29, 2009 7:18 PM
It's heartening that we can have a rational discussion about important issues like adults.
Posted by: pau1ke11y | April 29, 2009 9:46 PM
It's beyond apparent where support for president Obama comes from. Both pre- and post-election, candidate/president Obama's key demographic consisted and still consists of those who where unpopular in elementary and high school. Now, supporting Obama offers them the chance to sit at the lunch table with all the cool kids, and right every real or imagined slight they suffered.
That's why the same facts that rightfully pointed out the ineptness of Bush and Congress during his time no longer apply to cool Obama and the current Congress.
Here are few examples:
http://news.antiwar.com/2009/04/29/us-drone-strike-kills-at-least-eight-in-south-waziristan/
"The number and severity of the attacks have risen dramatically since President Barack Obama took office."
http://brillig.com/debt_clock/
The federal debt is over $11 trillion. This year's deficit will be 1.2 to 1.7 trillion alone.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jhnBOhkMAj1skuyZ4fD5ibuB7-UgD97S8OIO0
Car and suicide bombings in Iraq since 1 Jan. 2009. The same drone attacks and suicide bombings will occur in Afghanistan, but not the car bombings -- fewer cars.
No matter what, to that wounded-for-life demographic, everything will be Bush's fault, never Congress' or Obama's, and never their own.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink -- particularly if the horse was clumsy, wore braces, or didn't dress well in school. Obama clearly fills the desperate need for validation of those many. As a result, we're all stuck with a president already twice as bad as Bush and four times as expensive.
Posted by: dom youngross | April 30, 2009 12:07 AM