MANITOWOC — President Obama said today the breakthroughs that define the 21st century must take root in America and he came to this eastern Wisconsin city along Lake Michigan to “glimpse that future.”
Obama noted during his stop at Orion Energy Systems that a piece of the Russian satellite Sputnik landed in Manitowoc almost 50 years ago. Much like that satellite set the space race in motion, the president predicted the city would be the place where the race for the 21st century will be won.
Obama held up Orion and two other Manitowoc plants as the kind of innovative businesses in which the country needs to continue investing to nurture their growth. He recounted how Orion exec Neal Verfuerth built the company after creating a new light fixture that produced twice the light at half the cost.
“Here in America, we play to win,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. “And if entrepreneurs like Neal keep sticking with it, and small businesses like Orion keep breaking new ground; and if we, as a country, continue to invest in you, then I’m absolutely confident America will win the future in this century as we did in the last.”
Obama, making his first stop following his State of the Union address, joked with the crowd to open his speech that he’d already received three Packers jerseys Wednesday morning. That includes one from Gov. Scott Walker emblazoned with the president’s name with the number one. Obama had picked his home state Chicago Bears to beat the Packers in Sunday’s NFC championship game.
“I am not here because I lost a bet,” the president told a laughing crowd, later wishing the Packers well in the Super Bowl Feb. 6.
He also quoted legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi in describing his vision for the country moving forward as it competes in the 21st century.
“In the words of the man the Super Bowl trophy is named after, ‘There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place,’” the president said.
Ahead of the president’s stop, RNC Chair Reince Priebus and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said this morning Obama should listen to Wisconsin voters’ concerns about fiscal responsibility as he heads to Manitowoc.
“We won in November because we listened to the voters,” said Priebus, who served as state GOP chairman last year. “This visit to Wisconsin today gives us another opportunity to show both Wisconsin and the nation that Republicans have the right message for fiscal restraint.”
Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said he hopes the president hears what he heard on the campaign trail last year about “how incredibly concerned people in Wisconsin are.”
“They understand that our spending and deficit levels are out of control,” Johnson said. “It’s the private sector we need to rely on.”
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels says he believes the president picked Manitowoc for his first post-State of the Union stop because it’s emblematic of his Main Street jobs theme.
“Last year our unemployment rate was 14 percent. This year we’re down to 8 percent,” Nickels said. “This shows Manitowoc is ahead of the curve in a variety of areas.”
Nickels said this is the first time a sitting president had visited Manitowoc.
“Kennedy came through here, and Carter came through. But this is different,” he said.
The visit requires a great deal of attention from many departments. The mayor also met with public works officials and local law enforcement agencies to discuss preliminary security arrangements.
“Whatever route the motorcade takes, we’ll have to make sure it’s clear of snow,” Nickels said.
– By JR Ross
WisBusiness.com
