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President Obama was up in the Bay Area tonight campaigning and raising money for Democrats. The media pool reports, from Carla Marinucci of the San Francisco Chronicle, probably give a pretty good idea of what the president will say when he gets to USC Friday afternoon. So you can skip the traffic mess.
The media wasn't allowed in at the first stop:
Event: DNC fundraiser Location: Atherton, CA home of former State Controller Steve Westly and his wife, Anita YuDetails: President Obama met with Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the Westin Hotel for 45 minutes to talk about technology, education and innovation issues.
The Obama motorcade hit 380 and then 280 South to head to Atherton, where it was greeted by about 50 protesters carrying signs, “Hello FDR recovery,” “Good bye, Wall Street traitors,” “Obamanator,” and “Kills jobs, kills hope.” Also saw “Repeal Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Press vans are left outside the sprawling ranch home surrounded by olive trees and lush vegetation. Obama doing a $6500 a head photo op event for Kamala Harris, San Francisco District Attorney and Democratic candidate for AG, and about 50 people are present for the $30,400 a head DNC fundraiser inside Westly’s house.
We’re told this will be a 20 minute stop.
Then it was on to the Palo Alto home of Google executive Marissa Mayer. Excerpt from the pool report with Obama's remarks after the jump.
Obama said he remembered his first visit to Google years ago, where he first met Mayer, and said “it spoke to the....American idea, that if we’re innovating, if people have the tools to let their imaginations run, then there’s nothing we can’t do in this country.”He said that America is now coming out of “a decade in which, frankly, that can do spirit had been lost.’’
He noted that the country is going through a tough economic times. But he said his task “hasn’t just been to stop the bleeding,” but to find out how the country can deal with the issues “that have prevented more Googles from being created.”
“We’ve made a start on all these fronts,’’ he said. “Our education agenda has been as innovative and aggressive as anything we’ve seen.”
“We have tackled things like health care that have been weights around the necks of… individuals and families,’ he said.
“We’re taking on clean energy in ways that we haven’t seen before,’’ made the largest investment in clean energy in history, and “we’re seeing solar panels and wind turbines” all across the country, he said.
“I’m optimistic about the future, but in the short term, we’ve got a long way to go. There are a lot of people out there that are hurting,’’ he said. “A lot of kids who still aren’t sure that they can finance their college education.”
“In an environment where people are frustrated and hurting,’’ he said, the mission is now about “going forwards,’’ not going backwards.
“In a place like California, frankly, as many people as I meet, I can’t meet everybody..you help us do that,’’ he said to the donors.
“I’m grateful to you. We are excited about the last 10 days,’’ he said, noting he has traveled to Oregon, Ohio.
“As we travel around the country..although everybody recognizes the last two years have been tough,’’ what has been “remarkable” is the “degree of resilience.”Obama said he wanted to “have a chance to talk to all of you, and hear from all of you.”
But he added with a laugh that “if at any time people want to come in here and get an update on the Giants game, I’m perfectly happy.”The press was retired to Mayer’s basement, where there’s a full screening room playing the Giants-Phillies game on big screen, and a real snack bar, completely with popcorn machine and big box candy.
Email tonight under Obama's name says Friday's "Moving America Forward Rally" at USC begins at 12:15. The gates open at 10 a.m.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom greets Obama, San Francisco Chronicle photo by Adam Golub
