UPDATED: Obama plans stimulus announcement in Arcadia tomorrow, visits Jacksonville, Miami today
by Michael C. Bender | October 26th, 2009
A rock band made up of members of the U.S. Navy warms up the crowd at NAS-JAX. President Obama is scheduled to arrive this afternoon. (Bender | Post)
President Barack Obama will use the backdrop of a FPL solar energy plant in DeSoto County tomorrow to announce the nation’s largest investment of stimulus money so far in clean energy, a White House source said.
The money will be used to build a “smart grid” in Florida and across the country. The project will be pitched as a dependable way to deliver renewable, domestic power like the kind produced in DeSoto. The event will be packaged with an announcement from Vice President Biden, who will not be in Florida, about energy efficient automobiles.
Moments ago, Obama landed in Jacksonville where he’ll address about 3,000 men and women at Naval Air Station-Jacksonville. Read his prepared remarks here.
Later, he’ll travel to Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach, where he’ll host a fundraiser for Democratic Congressional candidates, including U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the frontrunner for the party’s U.S. Senate nomination.
It’s the second consecutive stimulus-related trip to Florida for Obama. He was last in the state in February, campaigning in Fort Myers for Congress to approve his $787 billion stimulus package.
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist appeared with Obama at the event, welcoming the money for the cash-strapped state. But Crist has been criticized by his fellow Republicans for supporting the stimulus money and will not join Obama in the state today or tomorrow. Crist is in Broward County today visiting the Joe DiMaggio Children’s hospital and meeting with the United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc.
Incidentally, state CFO Alex Sink, the probable Democratic gubernatorial candidate, will not appear in Jacksonville with Obama, whose approval ratings have taken a beating in Florida. Sink will meet Obama in Miami and attend the fundraiser, a campaign spokesman said.
Obama, meanwhile, is not expected to make much news this afternoon. He is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan, but an election there mired in fraud accusations has delayed action from the White House.
There was news this morning of two separate helicopter crashes in Kabul that killed 14 Americans, making today one of the deadliest days for U.S. troops in the Afghanistan war. Today will also be Obama’s first public appearance since 150 were killed and another 500 injured in bombings this weekend in Baghdad.
But the president’s trip today initially appeared to be little more than a stopover on the way to Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach tonight, where Obama will host a fundraiser for Democratic Congressional candidates. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the party’s expected nominee for the U.S. Senate race, will be traveling with Obama.
Obama, Crist in February
Crist’s absence at the FPL plant opening can’t be solely blamed on the U.S. Senate candidate’s efforts to distance himself from Obama while courting conservative voters.
Crist demanded that state utility regulators, whom he appoints, turn down FPL’s $1.3 billion rate hike request and scrubbed the Public Service Commission of two Jeb Bush appointees to give consumers more clout on the board.
Crist may also remember FPL’s opposition to him when he was last on the campaign trail in 2006 running for governor. FPL backed his GOP primary opponent, then-Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, and then tried to court Crist after he won the primary.
Sources said at the time that FPL executives had been prepared to spend $1 million to defeat Crist in 2006 before finally offering to help him, only to have him refuse the company’s campaign cash.
“They tried to take me out, and I don’t need their damn money,” Crist said then.
Crist, running in a Republican U.S. Senate primary against conservative Marco Rubio and criticized by many Republicans for his past embrace of Obama, has no plans to join the president on his latest visit.
Despite Crist’s own enthusiasm for alternative energy, he’ll be staying in Tallahassee for a cabinet meeting on Tuesday when Obama visits the FPL solar facility near Arcadia. Crist skipped a cabinet meeting to attend Obama’s Fort Myers visit.
Post reporters Dara Kam and George Bennett contributed to this report.
Tags: Alex Sink, Barack Obama, Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, solar energy
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October 26th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Barry Hussein’s numbers dropped real quick… LMAO
And I see that the PB Post is trying to knock Crist down hard… Won’t happen… Rubio will never win the primary And Crist will win the general election
October 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am
It is wonderful to see the President come to Florida!!! And since it is great to see he hasn’t lost interest in solar energy…could bring lots of jobs to Florida.
Welcome Mr. President!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 10:56 am
I also welcome our President of the United States to Florida.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I’m an independent and happy our commander-in-chief will be paying us a visit. I think the Governor of the state (No matter of party affiliations) should welcome the president. Though I do believe a visit at ones party fundraiser would ruffle a lot of feathers, specifically one who is running for senate in 2010, but why not welcome him at a mutual location (ie….airport). To not acknowledge the presidents arrival (No matter who it is) is just plain disrespectful. I used to think a lot of our Governor, he has done a lot for us, but if he succumbs to these childish party games, I will be very disappointed.
Oh….MadMike……polls are fluid by nature and not all measured in the same manner. As many times as you have been commenting on this forum, you would have thought to have learned this by now.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Do the right wingers really know what fools they’re coming across as?
Obama’s poll numbers? Are you kidding? They’re 28 points ABOVE the national approval numbers for the Republican Party…and thats thanks to all of these bitter wingnut idiots inventing every nasty insult and petty lie to feel better about themselves.
Ideas win over insults, always. And you people are fresh out of one of those.
Welcome to Florida, Mr. President.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
OBAMA will change the world — but can you live with what he will wind up doing to it?
__________________
A LIE BELIEVED BY EVERYBODY IS NOT THE TRUTH
October 26th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Let’s see…
The banking industry is still not being held accountable for seven and even eight figure bonus $$$ provided by the TAXPAYERS.
Unemployment is still heading in the toilet regardless of stimulation package.
The War in Iraq in NOT over.
Gee, what should we do about Pakistan?
is the current mantra.
Let’s go to Paris and give the 1st “lady” her oun plane so she can take the little ones shopping.
This is a DEMOCRATIC White House, Senate, and House.
And where is Health Care?
I am and always have been a Democrat, but please, where is the CHANGE that was promised?
October 26th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
HM I guess you forgot what all the lib media did in attacking W for 7 seven years. They sure didn’t conjur up any lies, insults or innuendos! Olberman, matthews, frank, rhodes, etc etc!
October 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
CAN PEOPLE GO SEE OBAMA TOMORROW WHILE HE IS IN ARCADIA AND WAHT TIME IS HE GONNA BE THERE?
October 26th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
CAN PEOPLE GO SEE OBAMA WHILE HE IS IN ARCADIA? AND WHAT TIME IS HE GONNA BE THERE?
October 26th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
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October 26th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Oh the poetic hypocrisy of it all! Flying a 747 and the accompanying military cargo plane (for the motorcade) simply for the purpose of having a green backdrop is priceless.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
What Obama should do is stop these speculators and oil companies from manipulating oil prices. That would be a huge no-brainer stimulus for everyone in this country. That would be change we can all really believe in. Instead, our fearless leaders keep spending money we don’t have. This is not change, this is more of the same sh#@
October 26th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I am dissappointed in Governor Crist (who I like very much and will support) for not being a good host to the President of the United States. He should be in Arcadia to welcome the President to our State as he put a spotlight on our solar energy triumph.
October 26th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Obama really came to Miami to play another round of golf while Rome burns. I am sure he can get Sen. Nelson and Gov. Crist to carry his bags and fetch his drinks while he plays. Maybe Cong. Grayson can make another hate speech on the 18th hole.
October 26th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
How is all that hope and change working for all you comrads out of work?
October 26th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Alice….get a LIFE!!!!!!!!!
You can’t turn around 8 years of screw ups and intattentiveness in 9 months!!!!!!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Tommorow, President Obama will show case what one of the best companies in Florida and yes perhaps the United Staes has accomplished. The rest of Florida, whines, complains, and trys to act like they have been harmed, while they enjoy the lowest energy costs in the entire country. Shame on the newspapers, shame on the spoiled population. The time has come to recognize what FPL is doing for this state and the country.