Mar. 10 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 battle, not the November election, we’re going NOTE: The President spoke at 6:45 p.m. at the to win out in terms of creating the kind of soci- Renaissance Grand Hotel. In his remarks, he ety for our kids and our grandkids that we can referred to Gov. Jeremiah W. “Jay” Nixon and be proud of. State Attorney General Chris Koster of Mis- Thank you, everybody. God bless you. God souri; former Sen. Jean Carnahan; and former bless the United States of America. President William J. Clinton. Remarks at a Reception for Senator Claire McCaskill in St. Louis March 10, 2010 The President. What’s going on, St. Louis? what’s good for their poll numbers, instead of Thank you. Thank you, St. Louis. It is good to thinking about what’s right. I mean, they are be back in Missouri. just—you walk into—you walk in somebody’s of- Audience members. Obama! Obama! fice, and they got, like, five TVs—CNN, MSNBC, Obama! FOX News. The President. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Audience members. Boo! I got the same reception when I went to the The President. I’m just saying. [Laughter] Republican caucus. [Laughter] They were Sen. McCaskill. Smart crowd, smart crowd. chanting and cheering. [Laughter] You don’t The President. Yes, they’ve got all the tab- remember that? loids, the little gossip, you know, papers in Give it up for Governor Jay Nixon, one of Washington. So it’s like a hall of mirrors. But the finest Governors in the country. Give it up folks don’t spend enough time thinking about for Mayor Francis Slay, who’s in the house. what’s right and what’s going on outside of He’s around here somewhere. There he is Washington. over there. Now, this is not a new phenomenon. Harry And give it up for my dear, dear friend Truman said something to the same effect. He Claire McCaskill. I love Claire McCaskill. had an interview, he said, “Washington is a Love, love Claire McCaskill. Now, Claire and I very easy city to forget where you come from both agree it’s nice to get out of Washington and why you got there in the first place.” once in a while. [Laughter] [Laughter] Audience member. Come more often! Let me tell you something: Claire McCaskill The President. Now, don’t—I’m going doesn’t forget where she came from, and she to—[laughter]. Don’t get me wrong, there are doesn’t forget why she got to Washington. She a lot of nice things about Washington. I like got to Washington to serve you, to fight for the monuments. you, to fight for families all across America. Audience member. How is the house? That’s why you’re here today, because you The President. House is okay. [Laughter] know Claire McCaskill is on your side. It’s got a bowling alley. You’ve known that ever since she was a Audience member. Have you bowled yet? prosecutor. You’ve seen her as a State auditor, The President. Huh? just pinching pennies, just looking Audience member. Have you bowled? through—[laughter]—making sure folks aren’t The President. My bowling has not gotten wasting your money. She’s turned into one of any better. [Laughter] But here’s the thing the finest Senators Missouri has ever had. about Washington—— She’s following in Harry Truman’s footsteps. Audience member. We love you! She’s a standout because she speaks truth to The President. I love you back. I love you power. She’s not afraid of anybody, speaks her back. mind. Sometimes she tells me things—[laugh- But here’s the thing about Washington. ter]—and I’m the President. [Laughter] But Look, it’s a town where everybody is spending that’s what you need, is somebody who’s got all their time worrying about staying reelected, the courage of their convictions. They’re not a 356 Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 / Mar. 10 weathervane, putting their fingers out to the going to help American families have some con- wind, seeing, well, is that thing popular, is that trol over their lives? What’s going to help them going to win, is that good for me? She’s thinking be able to save a little more for their retire- about, is it good for you. She’s focused on solv- ment? What’s going to help them be able to ing problems. find a job? What’s going to help them deal with No matter what party, she’ll work with any- a health care crisis in their lives? What are we body if she thinks it’s going to solve a problem. going to do to make sure young people can af- She’s willing to challenge old assumptions and ford to go to college? wornout ideas. And she’s a great role model for Now, sometimes the decisions we make in that. the short term are not going to be popular, and I’ll just give you an example. Some of you re- the folks in Washington don’t understand that I member the—Harry Truman made his name know they’re not going to be popular. They with the Truman committee that went after can’t believe I’m doing them. See, they just waste and abuse during World War II, saving think I’m an idiot—[laughter]—because I’m taxpayer dollars and lives. Well, Claire is doing doing something that’s not immediately popu- the same thing, fighting for transparency and lar. But I’ve got pollsters. I’ve got very good accountability in Government. She understands pollsters. They send me the polls. They say, that the money we spend doesn’t belong to us, “You know what, shoring up the financial sys- it belongs to you. It belongs to the American tem, not popular.” [Laughter] “Helping out the people, so it’s got to be spent responsibly. auto industry, not popular; passing the Recov- So just today—just today—I announced a ery Act, not popular.” plan that Claire proposed, pushed through That’s okay, because my job is not being pop- Congress, that’s going to be coming on line. It’s ular. My job is solving problems for the Ameri- a database where Americans can track spending can people. I’ve got a greater responsibility. I’ve on contracts: who’s getting it, are they doing it got a deeper mission. I’m looking at 10 years on time, are they doing it on budget. If compa- from now, will you look back and say that what nies aren’t doing it on budget, then they stop getting contracts. he did made sense for the American people, not whether tomorrow people are going to be look- But that’s an example of the kind of work ing and saying, “That made him popular.” she’s been doing since she got there, the same way Harry Truman saw it. You don’t govern by So today—listen, you remember a year ago, the polls, you govern by principles. You don’t everybody was saying—we had only been there put your finger to the wind, you put your shoul- for 2 months. [Laughter] They said, “Oh, his fi- der to the wheel. Because Claire assumes that if nancial plan is a disaster.” Huh? Stock market she’s doing what’s right, the politics will sort it- had dropped. Remember that? Everybody is self out. like, “His Presidency is over; he’s been in 3 See, I’ve got this same philosophy. I have so months.” [Laughter] much faith in the American people that I figure, Now, suddenly, you look up, financial sys- you know what, if I do the right thing, then the tem’s stabilized. People said: “Oh, you know politics will work itself out. Now, that’s puzzling what, why is he getting involved in this auto to Washington. So they’ve been writing over the thing? Big mistake.” Now, suddenly, General last couple months, “Oh, my goodness, look at Motors is hiring again. They said, “Well, I don’t Obama. His poll numbers have dropped. Oh, know about this Recovery Act.” Except all over the sky is falling!” [Laughter] No, I mean, you Missouri and all across the Nation, roads are be- see articles, you know: “Can you imagine what’s ing repaved and bridges are being repaired and happened? What a catastrophe!” I’m looking waterways are being rebuilt. And we’re putting around, and I’m thinking, I feel okay. [Laugh- Americans back to work. We’re laying the foun- ter] I feel pretty good. dation for tomorrow. And instead of the econo- And the reason I feel pretty good is because I my contracting 6 percent, it’s now growing 6 wake up every day trying to figure out, what’s percent. So I think about what’s right and then 357 Mar. 10 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 figure out—whether the politics will work out And yes, because we know that this econo- or not, I’m confident in the American people. my cannot work if we’ve got a broken health Now, look, here’s the bottom line—Claire care system, we are going to get health care re- and I know this—as much progress as we’ve form done this year, right now. made, there are still millions of Americans, Everybody remembers that person yelling and too many all across Missouri, who are out to Harry, “Give ’em hell, Harry!” But folks of work, too many people who are still don’t remember Harry’s response, which was, stretched to the limits on their mortgages, “I’m going to tell the truth, and they’ll think their credit cards, their student loans.