Photos: The Obama Presidency. December 4, 2009

[Clio the Leo]

Here's the pool's report from President Obama's Friday visit to the Pennsylvania Career Link of Lehigh Valley employment counseling center:

POTUS spent 20 minutes at this career counseling and training center, talking to people who are out of work and looking for jobs. About three dozen of them were seated in a brightly lit room, around round tables or at cubicles with computers. Mr. Obama shook every hand and used his time to offer encouraging words, reiterating his earlier message about today’s jobs numbers but also telling them individually that, “I’m proud of you.”

Your pooler was hustled out of the room before she could take any names, but the conversations for the most part were clear. Here are some of POTUS’s remarks; unclear if you will get a full transcript:

He described today’s report as “the first of what I hope will be a series of pretty good reports around unemployment,’’ but added, “It’s still going to take some time.” He also said, in explaining the numbers, that, “for practical purposes, the economy didn’t lose jobs.’’

He told the assembled group, “I just want you to know I’m thinking about you every day.”

A woman gave him a private letter from one of her daughters and showed Mr. Obama a picture of the girls. Mr. Obama tucked the letter in the pocket of his suit jacket, but took a moment to write a note back. At one point, he turned to the group and said, “You guys seem very employable.’’

Another woman showed him her résumé. And still another said he had visited her former place of employment, an apparel manufacturer, while campaigning for the White House. The company has since shut down. Mr. Obama said he was sorry to hear it.

To a woman who was downsized out of her hotel industry job, he said it had been a rough year, but “it’s going to start picking up.”

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1209/im_proud_of_you_ef9b1126-a38c-4f55-abdc-04796277de42.html

President Barack Obama greets workers as he tours Allentown Metal Works in Allentown, Pennsylvania, December 4, 2009. Obama urged corporate America on Thursday to help tackle the nation's highest unemployment in 26 years but also hinted at federal tax credits and aid to states to ease jobless woes.


U.S. President Barack Obama has lunch with business leaders at Hamilton Family Restaurant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, December 4, 2009.


A protester, right, walks past Niyal Patel, left, and Adam Gavalla both of Whitehall Pa. ,caring a cutout of President Barack Obama, in Schnecksville, Pa. , Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, where the president is scheduled to make remarks at Lehigh Carbon Community College.


I think this confirms reports that Obama is losing his base of youth voters over Afghanistan.


Or, maybe not.






"Do I make you nervous?"

[Skittles]

1. he has the greatest smile

the pic with that beautiful baby girl is priceless :D

[Clio the Leo]

2. Yeah, that last one is....

..... is going to end up on a commemorative coin one day.

And a t-shirt.

And a plate.

[Skittles]

3. I......can't help comparing

cannot....stop.....myself

[rasputin1952]

9. Ooooh...A really big turkey...

and a white bird, I think the bird on the right has more sense than the really big turkey on the left...:D

[PopSixSquish]

16. Damn Skippy!

:hi:

[treestar]

4. Oh noes he's losing the baby vote!

That's the first baby I've ever seen with him crying!

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. Great pics! Thanks for posting. (nt)

[vaberella]

6. I totally love my President. n/t

[AllentownJake]

7. Clio I'm pissed at you

You picked the lunch picture without my Mayor.

:-P

[Clio the Leo]

11. The lunch pictures were crap.....

... with half of them taken at the very moment he was putting food into his face. (How rude!)

I saw your mayor at the jobs forum Thursday though. (I assume you saw it but in case you didn't) At the end of the Q&A, the President had him stand up in front of all of the business leaders to sing the prasies of Allentown. "So if any of you big executives have any businesses that need relocating or starting, Allentown's a great place to consider!" the President said.

Anyway, I was highly dissapointed at the lunch photos. Not a pie pic (or as I like to call it "the money shot") in the mix.

[lillypaddle]

8. Great pics, thanks.

:kick:

[HughMoran]

10. Where else can you see photos like this?

With all the news stations we have now (cable etc.), there is simply more talking head time and less actual news than their used to be before all the supposed "news" stations.

[Clio the Leo]

12. Jackeens and I.....

... (where the heck are ya Jackeens?!) get them here...

http://www.daylife.com/search?q=obama

you can also look here...

http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search;_ylt=A0WTTknYDDtJ5lUASwnRtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTA4Mm84YjJyBHNlYwNzb3J0?ei=UTF-8&p=obama&c=news_photos&datesort=1&fr=

[HughMoran]

13. Thanks for the source link

I like when you (and Jackeens) screen them and post them here for me to enjoy ;)

[rebel with a cause]

14. Yes, where is Jackeens?

I use to come on and look for her name, now I look for her and your names. Love the pictures!

[mdmc]

15. It is like living in the future..

[Odin2005]

17. The lady with the green hat in photo #5 has really ugly glasses.