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Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 / Feb. 18 cade. That’s more savings than any administra- examples of people who put country first. And tion’s budget in the past 10 years. they know how to disagree without being dis- I know the issue of deficits has stirred de- agreeable, and there’s a sense of civility and a bate. And there’s some on the left who believe sense that there are moments where you set that this issue can be deferred. There are some politics aside to do what’s right. on the right who won’t enter into serious discus- That’s the kind of spirit that we need. And I sions about deficits without preconditions. But am confident that the product that they put for- those who preach fiscal discipline have to be ward is going to be honest, it’s going to be clear, willing to take the hard steps necessary to it’s going to give a path to both parties in terms achieve it. And those who believe Government of how we have to address these challenges. has a responsibility to meet these urgent chal- All right. Thank you very much. Come on, lenges have a great stake in bringing our deficits let’s sign this thing. under control, because if we don’t, we won’t be able to meet our most basic obligations to one [At this point, the President signed the Execu- another. tive order.] So America’s fiscal problems won’t be solved overnight. They’ve been growing for years. The President. There you go. They’re going to take time to wind down. But with the Commission that I’m establishing to- Fiscal Commission’s Scope day and the other steps we’re pursuing, I be- lieve we are finally putting America on the path Q. Sir, is everything on the table for this? towards fiscal reform and fiscal responsibility. And I want to again thank Alan and Erskine The President. Everything’s on the table. for taking on what is a difficult and, perhaps, That’s how this thing’s going to work. thankless task. I’m grateful to them for their Q. Where’s “Erskine” in the dictionary? willingness to sacrifice their time and their en- [Laughter] ergy in this cause. I know that they’re going to The President. He’s under “smart.” [Laugh- take up their work with a sense of integrity and ter] a sense of commitment that America’s people deserve and America’s future demands. NOTE: The President spoke at 10:20 a.m. in the And I think part of the reason they’re going Diplomatic Reception Room at the White to be effective is, although one’s a strong Dem- House. The Executive order is listed in Appen- ocrat and one’s a strong Republican, these are dix D at the end of this volume. Remarks at a Fundraiser for Senator Michael F. Bennet in Denver, Colorado February 18, 2010 The President. Hello, Denver! I’m fired up. First of all, your outstanding Governor is in What a great crowd. the house, Bill Ritter. Where is Bill? There he Audience members. Yes we can! Yes we can! is. Lieutenant Governor Barbara O’Brien is Yes we can! here. A great partner for this guy, Senator Mark The President. Yes we can. Udall is in the house. Congressman Jared Polis Audience members. Yes we can! Yes we can! is here. And an outstanding mayor, who I think Yes we can! actually might make a pretty good Governor, The President. Thank you. Thank you, every- John Hickenlooper in the house. body. Listen, let me first of all say I am thrilled It is great to be back in Colorado. to be back in Denver. I’ve got some good Audience member. We love you! friends here who I want to make sure I ac- The President. I love you back. [Laughter] I knowledge, in addition to the guy standing be- know this State is the training ground for a few side me here. Winter Olympians who are doing us so proud. I 211 Feb. 18 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 know Shaun White’s secret training facility up Michael closed a budget deficit and bal- on Silverton Mountain paid off. I don’t know anced two budgets in a row by finding innova- how those guys do that, though. [Laughter] tive ways to get the job of city government How do you start doing that? [Laughter] done. Then he took over the public school sys- Audience member. Practice! tem, where progress was stalled and budgets The President. But how do you get up the were shrinking, and he turned that around too. guts the first time to start practicing doing He invested in your schools and your class- that? [Laughter] rooms; he expanded early childhood education Gold medal for snowboarding—Colorado is for your kids, finished with graduation rates up the home of several Olympians, including and student achievement climbing faster than Lindsey Vonn, who brought home the gold in any other district in the State. In just a few yesterday, Johnny Spillane, who won the silver short years, Michael proved himself to be one medal in Nordic combined, the first American of America’s great education reformers. medal in that event. So I just want all of our Audience member. That’s right! Olympians to know that the United States of The President. That’s right. [Laughter] I got America is proud of you; we are cheering for an “Amen” over here. [Laughter] you every day. I am checking my BlackBer- So when I heard that he’d be joining your ry—[laughter]—every half hour to see how other extraordinary Senator, Mark Udall, I was things turned out. thrilled because I knew that Michael is a dif- I’ve got some good memories of Denver, in- ferent kind of leader, one who’s unafraid to cluding one just down the road at Mile High bring a fresh approach to tough challenges be- Stadium. Some of you may have been there. cause he knows the old ways of doing business You know, that night I talked about the prom- just won’t do, not anymore. And Colorado, ise of America. And I want you to know that that is precisely the kind of leader that he has not a single day goes by that I don’t think been in Washington. That’s precisely the kind about the obligation that I have to keep that of leader he’s going to continue to be when promise alive for every single American and you reelect him as Senator from the great every single Coloradan. State of Colorado. Audience member. Thank you! Now, keep in mind, Michael answered the The President. You’re welcome. [Laughter] call to service at an extraordinarily challenging Thank you for giving me the privilege of every time for Colorado and for America. He took single day thinking about how can we make office just over a year ago, 2 days after I did, that American Dream live for everybody, not and thinking about what we were facing then: just for some. And I’m thrilled to be here in a financial crisis unlike any that we had seen in support of a leader who shares our commit- generations; an economy that was bleeding ment to that priority, Senator Michael Bennet. 700,000 jobs a month; a $1.3 trillion deficit; Now, some of you may support him just be- two wars; challenges that ranged from the cause he’s got an adorable family. [Laughter] specter of terrorism to the impacts of global- They are adorable. But for those of you who ization; and on top of that, one of the toughest need additional reasons—[laughter]—let me decades America’s middle class has ever faced, testify about this guy. He’s been an agent of with stagnant job growth and declining in- change in these parts for a very long time. As a comes and rising costs. businessman, he turned struggling companies So when he was asked to serve, he could around and got them to work better. He have said, “I don’t think so.” [Laughter] knows how to make the private sector work. “I—you know, let me put this off for a while.” Then he put his talents to use making Denver And especially when you think about the sacri- work better. And Mayor Hickenlooper, one of fice he has to make with respect to a young America’s finest mayors, soon to be one of family. Nobody would have blamed Michael if America’s best Governors, knows how valu- he had declined the challenge. He could have able Michael can be. blinked in the face of these difficulties and 212 Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 / Feb. 18 shied away from an economy in turmoil. And he ery Act, we would have seen police officers and could have scanned the political landscape and firefighters and teachers laid off. seen the pain and anger that Americans were And we began building the infrastructure, in- feelings and said: “You know what? Let me just vesting not just in roads and bridges, in airports point fingers at somebody else and wait till and railways, but in the infrastructure of the fu- things got better.” ture—something that John Hickenlooper But that’s not what Michael did because knows a lot about—making sure that we’ve got that’s not his style. He has always thrived in tak- high-speed rail in this country, making sure that ing on the tough job.

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