Washington state readies for another presidential visit
EVERETT, Wash. - The commander-in-chief is set to make a pit stop in Washington state on Friday, with appearances in Everett, Medina and Bellevue that are expected to raise millions for his re-election campaign.
President Obama will stop first at Everett's Paine Field, where there's been plenty of hustle and bustle since 3 a.m. in preparation for his arrival - and where the president's visit is a big plus for the Boeing Co.
The last time a president came to Snohomish County was back in 1993 when President Clinton visited.
Today, President Obama will see how and where the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets are made. The sprawling factory offers a positive economic backdrop, since Boeing is bursting with new orders and new workers.
In fact, Boeing has become a poster child for a thriving manufacturing sector and American export business, and one Obama will use to highlight a battery of steps he believes will help nudge large and small businesses to achieve similar success.
Obama is directing the Export-Import Bank, which helps finance U.S. companies that want to sell their goods abroad, to more aggressively support firms that face competition from foreign businesses unfairly subsidized by their governments in violation of “international disciplines.”
As part of that effort the Bank will also launch a new pilot program for small businesses, providing 6-12 month loans of up to $500,000 to help them grow their exports.
Obama's visit to Washington state is the final stop on a three-day swing along the West Coast.
It's also his third visit to the Seattle area since August 2010. And we could see more of the president in the spring and summer, since Washington state could be pivotal come November.
In the 2008 election, the Evergreen State had 11 electoral votes up for grabs. But thanks to a population surge, we've gained one, now hitting 12 votes - topping Massachusetts, which took a drop.
And running for president these days means stockpiling cash.
From Everett, President Obama heads to a Medina mansion for a luncheon. Roughly 65 donors are forking over about $18,000 apiece to take part in a one-hour meet-and-greet that will net more than $1.1 million.
Natalie Cole will even perform - she's in town for a concert Friday night.
The Westin in Bellevue will be the president's afternoon pit stop, where getting in the door for most will cost at least $1,000. A photo-op with the commander-in-chief costs $5,000. Despite the price, a full house is expected.
It's estimated that the president's re-election campaign will tally up more than $8 million in a three-day swing through California and Washington. The visits featured eight fundraisers, most of them high-dollar events.
Obama repeatedly tells his audiences of donors that this election will be more difficult and encourages them to rekindle the vigor of his supporters in 2008.
"And that's not going to be easy because, first of all, I'm older and I'm grayer," he told about 70 high-dollar contributors in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood Thursday night. "So it's not as new, it's not as trendy to be part of the Obama campaign - although some of you still have your posters, I'm sure.
"And part of it is we've gone through three tough years and so people want to hope, but they've been worn down by a lot of hardship."
The president's visit to Washington state coincides with a boost in his popularity here. A new CNN poll out shows his approval rating now topping 50 percent for the first time in eight months.
President Obama will stop first at Everett's Paine Field, where there's been plenty of hustle and bustle since 3 a.m. in preparation for his arrival - and where the president's visit is a big plus for the Boeing Co.
The last time a president came to Snohomish County was back in 1993 when President Clinton visited.
Today, President Obama will see how and where the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets are made. The sprawling factory offers a positive economic backdrop, since Boeing is bursting with new orders and new workers.
In fact, Boeing has become a poster child for a thriving manufacturing sector and American export business, and one Obama will use to highlight a battery of steps he believes will help nudge large and small businesses to achieve similar success.
Obama is directing the Export-Import Bank, which helps finance U.S. companies that want to sell their goods abroad, to more aggressively support firms that face competition from foreign businesses unfairly subsidized by their governments in violation of “international disciplines.”
As part of that effort the Bank will also launch a new pilot program for small businesses, providing 6-12 month loans of up to $500,000 to help them grow their exports.
Obama's visit to Washington state is the final stop on a three-day swing along the West Coast.
It's also his third visit to the Seattle area since August 2010. And we could see more of the president in the spring and summer, since Washington state could be pivotal come November.
In the 2008 election, the Evergreen State had 11 electoral votes up for grabs. But thanks to a population surge, we've gained one, now hitting 12 votes - topping Massachusetts, which took a drop.
And running for president these days means stockpiling cash.
From Everett, President Obama heads to a Medina mansion for a luncheon. Roughly 65 donors are forking over about $18,000 apiece to take part in a one-hour meet-and-greet that will net more than $1.1 million.
Natalie Cole will even perform - she's in town for a concert Friday night.
The Westin in Bellevue will be the president's afternoon pit stop, where getting in the door for most will cost at least $1,000. A photo-op with the commander-in-chief costs $5,000. Despite the price, a full house is expected.
It's estimated that the president's re-election campaign will tally up more than $8 million in a three-day swing through California and Washington. The visits featured eight fundraisers, most of them high-dollar events.
Obama repeatedly tells his audiences of donors that this election will be more difficult and encourages them to rekindle the vigor of his supporters in 2008.
"And that's not going to be easy because, first of all, I'm older and I'm grayer," he told about 70 high-dollar contributors in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood Thursday night. "So it's not as new, it's not as trendy to be part of the Obama campaign - although some of you still have your posters, I'm sure.
"And part of it is we've gone through three tough years and so people want to hope, but they've been worn down by a lot of hardship."
The president's visit to Washington state coincides with a boost in his popularity here. A new CNN poll out shows his approval rating now topping 50 percent for the first time in eight months.
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