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An upbeat Obama basks in good economic news An upbeat Obama basks in good economic news
(about 2 hours later)
WAYNE, Mich. — President Obama used a visit to an auto plant outside Detroit on Wednesday to celebrate an economy that after years of doldrums and disappointment appears to be surging to life.WAYNE, Mich. — President Obama used a visit to an auto plant outside Detroit on Wednesday to celebrate an economy that after years of doldrums and disappointment appears to be surging to life.
“There is no doubt thanks to the steps we took early on to rescue our economy . . . America is coming back,” the president said at the Ford plant. “The facts are the facts.”“There is no doubt thanks to the steps we took early on to rescue our economy . . . America is coming back,” the president said at the Ford plant. “The facts are the facts.”
Obama’s appearance was more of a pep rally than a policy speech, a celebration of some of what he believes are his administration’s biggest victories. Speaking before a crowd of more than 700 autoworkers he joked about the Lions’ NFL playoff loss a few days earlier following an officiating controversy. “Even a Bears fan has to admit that that was a little suspect,” joked Obama to the delight of the crowd. “I had never seen anything like that before. I would have been pretty irritated.”Obama’s appearance was more of a pep rally than a policy speech, a celebration of some of what he believes are his administration’s biggest victories. Speaking before a crowd of more than 700 autoworkers he joked about the Lions’ NFL playoff loss a few days earlier following an officiating controversy. “Even a Bears fan has to admit that that was a little suspect,” joked Obama to the delight of the crowd. “I had never seen anything like that before. I would have been pretty irritated.”
He then laid out his case for a resurgence of America’s economy and its manufacturing base. The president said that the U.S. added more jobs in 2014 then in any year since the mid-1990s. He cited the impact of lower gas prices, which have left Americans with more disposable income, and lower federal deficits, which have fallen by two-thirds since he took office. He then laid out his case for a resurgence of America’s economy and its manufacturing base. The president said that the United States added more jobs in 2014 then in any year since the mid-1990s. He cited the impact of lower gas prices, which have left Americans with more disposable income, and lower federal deficits, which have fallen by two-thirds since he took office.
The focus of his speech in a plant surrounded by fresh-off-the-factory-line cars was on manufacturing and the more than $85 billion of taxpayer money spent to bail out a struggling automotive industry in 2008 and 2009.The focus of his speech in a plant surrounded by fresh-off-the-factory-line cars was on manufacturing and the more than $85 billion of taxpayer money spent to bail out a struggling automotive industry in 2008 and 2009.
The setting inside a Ford plant gave the president a chance to return to one of the more controversial decisions of his presidency: the bailout of the auto industry. “Even in Michigan it wasn’t popular,” Obama said of one of his first major initiatives as president. The speech was by no means the first time that Obama has touted the effectiveness of the bailout. It was a familiar theme on the campaign trail as he sought reelection in 2012. Vice President Biden joked at the time that the president’s campaign could be boiled down to a simple phrase: “Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.”The setting inside a Ford plant gave the president a chance to return to one of the more controversial decisions of his presidency: the bailout of the auto industry. “Even in Michigan it wasn’t popular,” Obama said of one of his first major initiatives as president. The speech was by no means the first time that Obama has touted the effectiveness of the bailout. It was a familiar theme on the campaign trail as he sought reelection in 2012. Vice President Biden joked at the time that the president’s campaign could be boiled down to a simple phrase: “Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.”
In 2011 Obama celebrated the bailout before a cheering crowd at a Chrysler plant. A year later he hit the same themes in an address before the United Autoworkers. Ford was not part of the bailout but benefited from almost $6 billion in Department of Energy loans.In 2011 Obama celebrated the bailout before a cheering crowd at a Chrysler plant. A year later he hit the same themes in an address before the United Autoworkers. Ford was not part of the bailout but benefited from almost $6 billion in Department of Energy loans.
Wednesday’s speech, with its references to shared sacrifices of labor and management, hit similar themes and used some of the same language from his previous speeches. The difference this time was that Obama seemed more willing to celebrate the country’s economic gains. The recovery he was describing was no longer a goal or a work in progress. It was something that had arrived.Wednesday’s speech, with its references to shared sacrifices of labor and management, hit similar themes and used some of the same language from his previous speeches. The difference this time was that Obama seemed more willing to celebrate the country’s economic gains. The recovery he was describing was no longer a goal or a work in progress. It was something that had arrived.
“That bet has paid off for America,” Obama said of the bailouts, “because the American auto industry is back.”“That bet has paid off for America,” Obama said of the bailouts, “because the American auto industry is back.”