At a town hall Wednesday during which people spoke of their lost jobs and their fears of economic problems to come, President Obama painted his ambitious policy agenda as the antidote.
Obama spoke to a crowd of about 1,300 during his first stop on a two-day swing through California, aiming to mobilize public support for his multi-trillion-dollar budget. In a state coping with job losses and home foreclosures, he quickly got a taste of how the sour economy had upended lives.
Dwaine Webber, 45, of Norwalk told of how he had lost a position at Toyota after 13 years and couldn't find a job because of a two-decade-old felony conviction. A teacher told Obama that she and a colleague -- who had won a teacher of the year award -- had just gotten pink slips.
Obama addressed the crowd with a mix of wonky detail about the roots of the economic collapse (even using the term "securitized mortgage instruments" at one point) and a promise that recovery was in the offing. Fielding a range of questions, he outlined his thinking on immigration, bank loans and school class size.
"I can't tell you how long it's going to take or what obstacles we'll face along the way, but I can promise you this: There will be brighter days ahead, here in California and all across America," the president said. "But that's only going to happen if we pull together and focus on the big things -- focus on the long term."
Some people had camped out overnight at the Orange County Fairgrounds to see the 44th president. When he arrived at 3:45 p.m., those who had packed into the sweltering auditorium stood and chanted: "Obama! Obama!"
The president tried to get them to sit, finally saying: "We're going to be here a while."
At one point, as the president was summarizing his budget plans, a man shouted: "I love you, Obama!"
"I love you back!" the president replied.
But as Obama strives to build public support for his agenda, he is finding that the $165 million in bonuses paid to AIG executives amount to a huge distraction.
Read on.
Obama spoke to a crowd of about 1,300 during his first stop on a two-day swing through California, aiming to mobilize public support for his multi-trillion-dollar budget. In a state coping with job losses and home foreclosures, he quickly got a taste of how the sour economy had upended lives.
Dwaine Webber, 45, of Norwalk told of how he had lost a position at Toyota after 13 years and couldn't find a job because of a two-decade-old felony conviction. A teacher told Obama that she and a colleague -- who had won a teacher of the year award -- had just gotten pink slips.
Obama addressed the crowd with a mix of wonky detail about the roots of the economic collapse (even using the term "securitized mortgage instruments" at one point) and a promise that recovery was in the offing. Fielding a range of questions, he outlined his thinking on immigration, bank loans and school class size.
"I can't tell you how long it's going to take or what obstacles we'll face along the way, but I can promise you this: There will be brighter days ahead, here in California and all across America," the president said. "But that's only going to happen if we pull together and focus on the big things -- focus on the long term."
Some people had camped out overnight at the Orange County Fairgrounds to see the 44th president. When he arrived at 3:45 p.m., those who had packed into the sweltering auditorium stood and chanted: "Obama! Obama!"
The president tried to get them to sit, finally saying: "We're going to be here a while."
At one point, as the president was summarizing his budget plans, a man shouted: "I love you, Obama!"
"I love you back!" the president replied.
But as Obama strives to build public support for his agenda, he is finding that the $165 million in bonuses paid to AIG executives amount to a huge distraction.
Read on.
Text: Obama’s Remarks at Costa Mesa Town Hall Meeting (March 18, 2009)
And where is Obama staying at on Wednesday night? Beverly Hills Hilton where many of past Presidents stay. He checks himself in. Click here. So much for the media trying to figure out Obama's whereabouts.
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