Obama speaks at CMU

There was no unannounced visit to Pamela’s P&G Diner this time for President… There was no unannounced visit to Pamela’s P&G Diner this time for President Barack Obama.

Today’s tightly scheduled presidential visit only left time for a single event — a speech at Carnegie Mellon University — before flying back to Washington. Obama spoke on the direction of the nation, the economy, elections in November and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to a crowd of about 300.

Much of Obama’s speech emphasized the need for the nation to move forward and “build a new, stronger foundation for growth and prosperity.”

This need, Obama said, is reflected by Pittsburgh’s evolution from a center of the steel industry to a hub of new technology, education and research.

“All of this came to be because as a community, [Pittsburgh] prepared and adapted and invested in a better future—even if you weren’t sure of what that future would look like,” he said. “That’s what America does.”

Obama said the nation needs to make decisions that will positively affect it in the long term, “Even if they are not always popular. Even if we can’t always see the benefits in the short-term.”

As part of his message, he said that the nation needs to enact reform of the financial system by passing legislation currently under debate in the Senate.

The visit, Obama’s first to Pittsburgh since the G20 summit in September, totalled less than three hours.

Obama’s prepared remarks, which took about half an hour, also addressed the Republican party’s opposition to many of his policies. He repeatedly referred to Republicans as “the other party.”

“From our efforts to rescue the economy to health insurance reform to financial reform, most [Republicans] have sat on the sidelines and shouted from the bleachers,” he said.

The Republican party, Obama said, has “staked their claim this November on repealing these health insurance reforms instead of making them work.” His comments come after Democratic Congressmen from several Pennsylvania voted or campaigned against health care reform legislation, most notably Rep. Jason Altmire D-McCandless.

Obama also spoke about the need to prevent a repeat of the situation that caused the 2008 economic collapse.

“We cannot accept economic growth that leaves the middle-class owing more and making less,” he said.

Part of the reform Obama mentioned resonates in the Pittsburgh area.

“We must build a new, stronger foundation for growth and prosperity—and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing for the last 16 months,” he said.

“It’s a foundation based on investments in our people and their future. Investments in the skills and education we need to compete. Investments in a 21st century infrastructure for America – from high-speed railroads to high-speed internet.”

Pittsburgh has been the site of a planned high-speed Maglev train project, and although the initiative received more than $100 million, it did not receive any of the $8 billion in federal stimulus funds Obama approved in January.

The invitation-only crowd included several members of city council including District 8 Councilman Bill Peduto, Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg, a number of CMU students, faculty and members of the community. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl traveled with the president after greeting him when he left Air Force One.

The crowd was largely receptive of the president’s speech, forcing him to stop for applause half a dozen times during the half-hour event.

While the White House announced the visit Friday, leaving little time for planning, a crowd still showed on CMU’s campus. Some stayed until after the president left, and their signs varied from a large cardboard placard that declared “Free Gaza” in two-foot high letters to one that stated “We Love Obama.”