Flashback: February 2, 2008
“The project of the next president is figuring out how do you create bottom-up economic growth, as opposed to the trickle-down economic growth that George Bush has been so enamored with,” Mr. Obama, an Illinois Democrat, said.
Today at the Huffington Post:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — President Barack Obama says he wants to make America the top travel destination in the world, picking Walt Disney World to promote his plans to boost tourism ahead of the GOP presidential primary in this crucial battleground state.
Standing in front of Disney's Cinderella's Castle on a picture-perfect day, Obama laid out plans to speed visa processing and make it easier for people in fast-growing China, Brazil and elsewhere to travel to the U.S.
He called for a new national strategy to promote travel throughout the U.S., which he said would boost U.S. jobs.
Said the president: "America is open for business."
Now lemme get this straight. Obama said in his speech that Disney represents "the quintessentially American spirit," and yet Disney World's "Main Street," where he gave the speech, was blocked off to the public?
Uh-huh.
.... Air Force One touched down at Orlando International Airport at 11:36 a.m. – four minutes early – where the president was greeted by a crowd of about 75 supporters. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who had been in Washington at the National Conference of Mayors, and Commerce Secretary Jon Bryson flew with Obama.
About 200 people awaited Obama's arrival at the Magic Kingdom, including Disney cast members and Orlando City Commissioner Tony Ortiz; Central Florida Hotel and Lodging honcho Rich Maladecki and Gary Sain, head of Visit Orlando.
The motorcade -- using State Road 528 and Interstate 4, arrived on Walt Disney World property at 12:10 p.m., passing a few crowds of waving onlookers in Hess gas stations and other spots. The motorcade stopped in the back-stage area behind the Magic Kingdom at 12:20 p.m.
Guests entering the park – who normally exit monorails or boats at the foot of Main Street U.S.A. – were [re]routed through a backstage area directly to Tomorrowland.
Main Street, the site of the President's speech, was blocked off to the public....
Also at HP, we note this headline:
WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (al Reuters) - New U.S. applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a near four-year low last week, a government report on Thursday showed, pointing to continued improvement in the labor market.
The Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 50,000 to 352,000, the lowest level since April 2008 and the biggest drop since September 2005.The prior claims data was revised up to 402,000 from the previously reported 399,000.
Hmmm... last week al Reuters said "Unemployment claims jumped to 399,000 in the first week of 2012, the highest in six weeks, from an upwardly revised 375,000 in the prior week." So before throwing your Four-Year-Low party (with a Disney theme) you may want to wait for next week's [upward] revision of this week's numbers. But never mind that, right? We don't want to rain on America's 'Main Street' parade.
And nevermind this too while you're at it:
A Labor Department official said claims for six states, including California and Virginia, had been estimated owing to the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday. He said there was nothing unusual in the unadjusted data...
Nothing unusal. Nothing to see here. Turn on your Disney channel, and move along...
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