“Obama touts Ford, Democratic candidates in Chicago visit - Sacramento Bee”

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Obama touts Ford, Democratic candidates in Chicago visit - Sacramento Bee Posted: 06 Aug 2010 12:28 AM PDT CHICAGO -- President Barack Obama on Thursday told Democratic campaign donors that U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is running "for all the right reasons." "He's not doing this to help lobbyists. He's not doing it to help special interests," Obama told a crowd at the Palmer House Hilton who donated between $1,000 and $2,400 to Giannoulias' Senate campaign. Giannoulias' campaign hoped to raise nearly $1 million from the Obama appearance. The first-term state treasurer trails Republican opponent U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk in fundraising. Giannoulias and Kirk are vying for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Obama in a nationally watched contest. The fundraising appearance came after Obama on Thursday morning told workers at a Chicago Ford plant that his bailout push helped save an "industry on the brink." "I put my faith in the American worker," Obama told a throng near the plant's assembly line. "All three automakers are now operating at a profit. That's the first time it's happened in six years." Obama also announced a $250 million import-export loan guarantee for Ford, which he said will help the company export hundreds of thousands of vehicles. "We're tired of buying from everybody else," Obama said to loud applause. Obama spoke to a crowd of about 1,700 at the plant, touting fuel-efficient vehicles and jobs before spending the afternoon raising an estimated $2.5 million in campaign cash from Democratic donors. Obama opened his 17-minute remarks with a nod toward the elected officials in attendance. "Got one of the finest mayors in the country, Richard Daley is in the house," the president said. "Our treasurer, and soon-to-be U.S. senator, Alexi Giannoulias, is here." Obama touched on the historic importance of the Chicago assembly plant, pointing out that Henry Ford built the facility in 1924. "This plant is part of American history," he said. "When World War II was raging, this plant was churning out armored vehicles that helped make victory possible. In the 1990s, workers at this plant built the best-selling car in America five years in a row." Pointing out that not everybody shared his commitment to the American auto industry, Obama said "some were ready to walk away" when the Big Three were foundering during the recession, with GM and Chrysler in danger of collapsing. "That's not how you build a better future," he said. Now, with Ford adding jobs at the Chicago plant, the wisdom of his decisions is being borne out, Obama said. "I put my money on the American worker," he said. Ford did not take bailout money, but Obama argued the company benefited from a resurgent industry after General Motors and Chrysler got federal help. Obama also told the auto workers that his most recent car was a Ford Escape. "That was a spiffy car," he said. "Now, I have to admit that I bought it about two months before I got Secret Service and they wouldn't let me drive anymore. So it only had like 2,000 miles after five years, but I really enjoyed those 2,000 miles." The speech came after Obama toured the plant with top Ford and union officials Thursday morning. The plant makes the Taurus, Police Interceptor and Lincoln MKS models and later this year will produce a more fuel-efficient Explorer SUV. The president got a quick tour of two assembly lines. "That's the new Explorer, right?" Obama asked, pointing to a new white SUV. "Can I start the engine?" Obama slid into the driver's seat and started the car. Sticking his head out of the window, the president jokingly called out to the photographers lined up in front of the car snapping pictures: "Don't worry, I've got my foot on the brake." On the second assembly line, the president greeted more workers including one wearing a White Sox T-shirt. "Notice he's got on the right T-shirt," said Obama, a well-known Sox fan. Ron Coppage, who has worked at the plant for 12 years, said he's excited about the job security that comes with building flagship models like the Explorer. "That speech was wonderful, and we're all fired up to get going (with the Explorer)," Coppage said. The busy day mixing policy and politics is unfolding after Obama spent Wednesday night celebrating his 49th birthday with friends at a Chicago restaurant. Obama's guests included Oprah Winfrey, senior aide Valerie Jarrett, University of Chicago Hospital Vice President Dr. Eric Whitaker and businessman Marty Nesbitt, according to the White House. The president left his home in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood for a workout Thursday morning, then returned home before heading out to the Ford plant. The president then traveled downtown for a trio of political fundraising events. First, Obama helped his protege Giannoulias raise money. In attendance were Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn; U.S. Reps. Janice Schakowsky, Danny Davis and Debbie Halvorson; state Comptroller Dan Hynes; Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White; Illinois Senate President John Cullerton; and state House Speaker and Democratic chairman Michael Madigan. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was first on the stage and repeatedly referred to Giannoulias as "Alex" instead of "Alexi." Daley led applause for Obama's 49th birthday, which was Wednesday, and said, "His policies and leadership helped the nation avoid another Great Depression." Giannoulias said the country was less than 90 days "from a truly seminal election." He frequently referred to Bush-Kirk economic policies involving "greed that brought this country to our knees." Giannoulias also said Kirk was "getting a lot of attention for the fictions and untruths" about his military and personal life and called it "very troubling." But Giannoulias also said "more troubling" was support for Bush budgets. "Are we going to send people to Washington to get things done, or will we elect those whose only objective is to obstruct and deny the achievements of the other party?" Giannoulias said. "That's what this race is all about." Obama then addressed the crowd. The second event is a $250-a-ticket reception at the Chicago Cultural Center. Then the president closes his time back home in Chicago with a big-dollar event at the home of longtime Democratic fundraiser Neil Bluhm. Donors will pay $30,400 a person for a more intimate gathering with Obama that's expected to fetch about $1.5 million. The two events benefit the Democratic National Committee. Obama's Chicago trip follows a Democratic fundraising event Monday in Atlanta and planned money-generating trips to Texas next week and California the following week. What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.) Here are some rules of the road: • Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior. • Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. 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