The rolling bus tours of President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry came within about seven miles of one another today as the two politicians focused on their differing approaches to the economy.
The president held a “Rural Economic Forum” in Peosta.
“The reason we’ve brought you all together is ’cause I am looking forward to hearing from you about what else we can do to jump start the economy here in rural America,” Obama said. “We want to leave no stone unturned when it comes to strengthening this economy.”
Obama urged the audience of 300 at the Northeast Iowa Community College to pester politicians to take action rather than resort to gridlock on legislation that could stimulate the economy.
Perry, the current governor of Texas, held a round-table discussion with about 30 businessowners in nearby Dubuque early this afternoon. Perry also told reporters he stood by a statement he made late Monday in Cedar Rapids.
Perry had said this about the chairman of the Federal Reserve: “I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. I mean, printing more money to play politics at this particularly time in American history is almost treacherous, I mean treasonous, in my opinion.”
The crowd in Cedar Rapids applauded. The current Federal Reserve chairman was appointed by President George W. Bush and a few former officials in the Bush White House say Perry’s comments are “inappropriate and unpresidential.”
Today Perry said he is “passionate” about monetary policy and he stands by his accusation of treason against the chairman of the Federal Reserve.