President Barack Obama: Tom is the leader Wisconsin needs (8/17/10)

Yesterday, President Obama visited Wisconsin to tour ZBB Energy, an innovative Wisconsin manufacturer of high-tech energy storage systems, and to join Tom Barrett for a campaign event at the U.S. Cellular Arena with over 1,300 enthusiastic  supporters.

The president opened his speech by remarking on Tom's leadership and record of creating jobs for Wisconsin workers and families:

    Tom is the kind of leader this state needs right now.  He’s the kind of leader this country needs right now.  This is a man of character.  He hasn’t forgotten where he came from.  Grew up right here in Wisconsin; started off after college working on the assembly line at Harley-Davidson; and ever since then, he has been fighting to bring jobs and opportunity and hope to the people of this state.

  And as this city’s mayor, he’s had success.  He helped turn around the industrial wasteland into a thriving commercial center that supports nearly 3,000 jobs.  (Applause.)  He helped start a regional economic development group that helped bring another 2,000 jobs to Wisconsin in the past 10 months -– a time when those jobs were desperately needed.  (Applause.)  No other candidate has this kind of record on jobs.  No other candidate has put forth the kind of detailed plan that Tom had -- has been able to put forward to make sure that this state’s economy is moving forward.  Under his watch, this city has held the line on property taxes, it’s expanded opportunity, it’s put more cops on the street, and reduced crime as a result.

    But the most impressive thing about Tom goes beyond his accomplishments as an elected official.  It goes to who he is as a human being.  It goes to his character.

   You know, I’ve heard stories about mayors who personally respond to calls about potholes and parking tickets and snowed-in driveways.  But I never heard about a mayor who risked his life to respond to an actual cry for help.  That is some serious customer service from this mayor right here.  (Applause.)  Tom gets embarrassed when folks bring this up, but what he did for a local woman and her baby granddaughter when they were threatened by domestic violence, that’s the kind of act you don’t hear about every day.  He stepped in, he tried to help, sustained serious injuries as a result. That’s what counts in a leader -– when the cameras aren’t rolling, when nobody is watching.  That’s the mark of real character.  (Applause.)

    That means this is a person who is going to fight for you each and every day.  And that's why I know Tom Barrett is going to win this race and lead Wisconsin to a better day.   That's the kind of leader we need.  (Applause.)  It’s the kind of leader we need for an incredibly challenging time for America.

Click here to read President Obama's full remarks.

Thank you to all 1,300+ supporters that joined us yesterday to show voters across the state that Democrats are fired up and ready to move Wisconsin forward this November.