Obama swept off his feet, literally, during stop at Fort Pierce pizza shop
by George Bennett | September 9th, 2012
President Barack Obama, right, is picked-up and lifted off the ground by Scott Van Duzer, left, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant during an unannounced stop in Ft. Pierce. (The Associated Press)
FORT PIERCE — Restaurant owner Scott Van Duzer was so excited about President Obama visiting his establishment this afternoon that he grabbed the president in a bear hug and lifted him off his feet at the Big Apple Pizza and Pasta restaurant.
The presidential motorcade stopped by the restaurant around 3 p.m. after driving from Melbourne through Vero Beach and down U.S. Route 1 to Fort Pierce.
Obama bounded into the restaurant and chatted with the 46-year-old Van Duzer, before the restaurant owner, who said he’s 6’3″ and 260 pounds, embraced and picked up the president.
“Are you a power lifter or what?” Obama said.
Van Duzer, fresh off the golf driving range in gray athletic shorts and a gray T-shirt, showed Obama some awards on his wall before the president addressed reporters briefly.
“One of the reasons we wanted to stop by is Scott has been doing unbelievable work out of this pizza shop in promoting the importance of donating blood,” Obama said.
“He has set some records here in Florida, he has received commendations from the White House, our surgeon general. He has galvanized and mobilized the local community and he’s educated kids and folks all across the country on this issue. And so this is an example of somebody who’s doing well, but he’s also giving back and so we just want to say how proud we are of him.
“I’m still wondering how he got these biceps but what we know is that the guy’s got a big heart along with big pecs,” Obama said.
Port St. Lucie resident Van Duzer said he didn’t know about the president’s visit until he got a call from his manager about 40 minutes before the motorcade arrived.
“I got goosebumps, so excited and just overwhelmed…just overwhelmed when I saw him, blown away,” said Van Duzer, who said he’s a Republican but supported Obama in 2008 and will vote for him again this year.
“I believe he’s passionate as I am, I’m a very passionate person and just to see his enthusiasm…that’s what it’s about,” Van Duzer said.
Van Duzer said he has been organizing blood drives for about four years. While he spoke to reporters, the president visited some of the dozen or so customers and posed for at least one picture with a group of young men.
Tags: bnblogs
September 9th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
LOL. GOP picked unlicenced and unskilled Joe,the plumber. Why not a smart Pizza maker picking President
Obama?
September 9th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
thanks to obamas new small business tax increase that man might be out of the job in the coming years
September 9th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
I can’t believe that this happened…where are the secret service?
I’m not a big fan of Obama, but this could have been horrible!
September 9th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
I JUST LUV MY PRESIDENT…LOL NICE PIC
September 9th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Hey, my kind of guy. So nice to have someone so high in our government that can relate to his constituents!
A President FOR the people !
September 9th, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Really? Headline with a picture?
Too bad “Tony Pizza Dough” will be making pies until he is 100 to make a dent in Obama’s spending costs!
September 9th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Will not be voting for him regardless of where he stops in. Too little, too late. Next.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
HE TRULY CARES!
September 9th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
I would have shut the lights and locked the door before he could puke his lies on my floor.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Obviously this was staged ! Anyone with half a brain knows that the secret service would never have let that happen. The secret service would have tackeled this dude in a second. Everything about this president is fake. I just hope the American voters will stop drinking the kool aid long enough to make an informed responsible vote.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
The owner is probably just happy that it wasn’t Romney who showed up. Romney would have promptly shut the guy down and given his business to Papa John’s along with a hefty tax break. If he was feeling generous he might let the owner stay on working as a driver. That’s the way businesses like Bain Capital work.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
A couple of dollars a year in tax isn’t gonna break small business owners. Obama seems like an approachable guy. I’ve also seen Bush do staged appearances. At least Obama has brought to light the importance of giving to the community, of working together.
Making enemies over small differences of opinion is not cool.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
now why the hell didnt he toss him under a passing bus when he was done, and dozer….you didnt build that pizza place, someone else did
September 9th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Big Apple pizza sucks, and always has. Sorry Obummer, not impressed with your cheesy grin. Fake, Fake Fake.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
why don’t people let the man(Scott) have his 15 mins of fame w/o all the fuss…
September 9th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
See Wilard…..THIS ! is something YOU can NEVER BUY !
A person’s HUMANITY !…..I can NEVER see ANYONE who WORKS for a Living,or Own a Small Buisness,HUG you like that !
Something Spontaneous !….and Heart Felt !
All of YOURs and YOUR High Donors $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ can NEVER BUY THAT !
4 More Years !
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September 9th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
This is so cool. And right wingers trash the act. Pathetic.
September 9th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
@jebamoni4 are you that dumb Joe the plumber was created by Obama and the democrats! How fast we forget when we are drinking the Obama Cool-aid!
September 9th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
@Susan (5:52pm)
“Too little, too late,” eh? Were you one of those arguing for a bigger stimulus? Quite a few economists did (and still do) argue that the stimulus was too small. I’m just wondering from which angle you’re approaching/criticizing the Obama administration.
September 9th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Pizza Man should remember, as a business owner, that Barry believes…”At Some Point, You’ve Made Enough Money.”
September 9th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Barry struttin’ around like he is worth a damn….LOL!! What a jerk!
September 9th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
OMG at least Fort Pierce got its 5 minutes of fame and its society was recognized! Who cares whether it was staged or not thanks to all who have donated to save lives every day… Obama has recognized that we as a community are humanitarian and unified for the single purpose to service one another. Thanks to the Van Duzer Foundation who has helped save many but especially a young girl from cancer with in our community. As far as kicking him out of a pizza parlor or prohibiting his entrance is really uncalled for and immature on their part, what are we? During the Era of the Civil War? Was that a racial statement or an ignorant one? Should you be treated in such way for your comment?
September 9th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
What a bunch of losers to critize Obama for being down to earth and knowing what its like to work and get ahead in life, you bunch of hypocrites.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
4 more years? I’d rather have a hot fireplace poker shoved in your eye! Hell no! Obama MUST GO!
September 9th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Krys, “..unified for the single purpose to service one another.”
What the hell does that even mean?
And of course, whip out that old tattered liberal Race Card…shove it, moron.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Bito….What its like to work? Obama? HAHAHA!!
September 9th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
The entitlement crowd LOVE Obama, I mean seriously startstruck in absolute love with Obama. Those of us that work and deal with all the regulatory BS coming from his administration, can’t wait for him to be defeated by Romney…Get your foot off of Americas throat Obama and maybe the country can thrive again!!! And hell NO government is not all we belong too either, maybe the welfare mooches feel that way, but I sure as hell don’t….The government is to serve the people, not be involved in our daily lives!
September 9th, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Not to be outdone, Joe Biden posed with a female biker sitting on his lap this weekend too. Never mind it’s Barack and Joe trying to outdo each other…
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2012/09/oh-really-president-barack-obama-is-lifted-in-the-air-in-bear-hug-by-florida-pizza-owner/
September 9th, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Nice job, Secret Service.
September 9th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
Let’s see how much longer this man is in business with Obama’s help.
September 9th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
How do you know what Obama did to get where hes is ? Do you have proof that he was a hard worker ? Did he get through college regestering as a foreign student on the taxpayer dime?Face it bud – you dont know and I dont know. It is all kept under lock and key. All we know is what the mainstream media want us to know and the facts revealed are ignored.
September 9th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
If this man goes out of business next year I am sure it will be blamed on Bush. But look on the bright side – all taxpayers can work hard to supply his children with contraseptives. No need for parenting or morals envolved.
September 10th, 2012 at 9:46 am
Did some of you miss the point of why Obama stopped by THAT Big Apple Pizza, it’s because of what SCOTT does for the community. Scott’s heart and willingness to help others is much, much larger then most. I say Cheers to you Scott and the Van Duzer foundation for all you do, and enjoy your 15 minutes!!!
September 10th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
What the heck is wrong with you people…the focus of the thing is that Van Duzer works for the community and generates a TON of blood donations. Were any of you idiot Republicans biking from Florida to Washington to promote donating blood? Didn’t think so. And all of you idiots that blame Obama for the debt and financial problems can kiss my ass… it was you IDIOT< RICH, DON"T GIVE A RAT"S ASS ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THEIR ASSES OFF, LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND NEED LEGITIMATE HELP FROM TIME TO TIME. If you Republicans with that attitude needed help one day I'd step right over you and maybe kick you on the way by.
September 10th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
As a Republican who resides in the area of Fort Pierce, I will make sure that I along with the many other Republicans do not visit this establishment. While this business owner is thrilled to see the President, how about when Obamacare takes full effect and he has to pay if he chooses not to cover his employees. Never mind the fact that Obama does not feel that this man like others did not build his business. Have no fear, am sure Obama will be there to lift this businessman up when his business is defunct. He lost my business and the business from many others, and his pizza is not great anyway.
September 10th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
what a great moment for Scott and the Van Duzer Foundation!! So nice to see a someone who does so much for this community get recognized!!
September 11th, 2012 at 1:29 am
This is truly a free country. If this happened in my country, that guy would have been beaten or arrested, at least.
September 11th, 2012 at 1:30 am
This is truly a free country. If this happened in my country, that guy would have been beaten or arrested, at least. I’m proud to be a resident of this country. I love the USA.
September 11th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I say “you go Van Duzer”! I would have hugged him too! Please Mr Van Duzer, keep recruting for blood donations. So many people need it now! Thank you for all you have done and all you continue to do! The people who can’t see this need to grow up!
September 12th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Think thats called a reach around
September 13th, 2012 at 11:39 am
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