Deeds-Obama Event via Twitter, Blogs, CNN Live Feed
Thursday, August 6, 2009
I'm not at the Deeds-Obama event, but here's what's going on via Twitter, blogs, etc.
From The Hotline's Twitter feed:
*"Final stats. Obama speech lasted about 20 min. Camp says about 1800 were here to listen to it."
*"Deeds says 'I know I'm not the main event...' as he leads into Obama intro."
*"Fun fact -- the pre-show mix of deep cuts from classic rock, R&B and soul is actually Deeds' psnal iPod playlist, according to camp"
*"Crowd of about 2K crammed into ballroom awaits Obama and Deeds."
*"Obama landed at McLean Youth Soccer Fields at 5:51 p.m."
*"Deeds: 'I still can't believe POTUS flew Marine One to VA...for me!'"
From the Virginia Politics blog:
*"...there's pretty serious energy going in the ballroom of the McLean Hilton, which is rapidly filling as we're about to hit the one-hour mark before the start of tonight's pre-rally."
*"There's no sign of protesters here, but one car with a McDonnell sticker also featured a sticker that said 'Where's the Birth Certificate?'"
UPDATE 7:10 pm: I just realized CNN is live streaming it. Watching Obama speak now. The economic mess didn't just happen somehow, critics have "selective memory." When Obama took office, he faced the worst economic situation since the Great Depression. Some thought doing nothing was an option. "I disagreed, I thought we had to act, boldly and firmly." "There's been a lot of misinformation out there about the recovery plan." "I just want to set the record straight." Recovery package made up of three parts: 1) 1/3 is a middle-class tax cut, just as promised; 2) 1/3 is relief for people and states who had fallen on hard times because of the economic crisis (e.g., expanded unemployment insurance, cheaper COBRA, aid to states); 3) 1/3 is making the vital investments that are putting people back to work today to create a stronger economy tomorrow (e.g., infrastructure, roads). This recession was years in the making. "That bank crisis didn't happen on my watch." "Let's get the history straight."
[Chants of "Obama! Obama! Obama!"]
Virginia has a history of prudent fiscal policy under Warner, Kaine, Deeds. When I walked in we had a $1.3 trillion deficit, that was "gift wrapped and waiting for me when I walked into the Oval Office." "I expect to be held responsible for these issues, because I'm the president...but I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking, I want them to just get out of the way so we can clean up the mess." The actions we've taken have helped stop our economic freefall. Need an economy built to compete in 21st century. Health care that works for the people not just the insurance companies, clean energy jobs of the future, education. There are those out there who say "we can't...it's too hard." That's not the future I accept for the future of America or Creigh Deeds accepts for Virginia. We're setting a new course for this nation. Leadership is about making smart decisions for the future, that's what Creigh Deeds will do. Every one of you will have to do the work to put him into office. The American way is about looking forward, not backward. We stare down challenges. Last year, Virginia, you helped lead a movement. It came from the bottom up, that's what we need to do in this race.