Obama touts ‘hopeful’ news in Lehigh visit

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. - President Obama, offering "some encouraging news" on the jobs front to a Lehigh Valley audience, called on businesses to start hiring again and urged banks to do their part by lending money to businesses again.

At Lehigh Carbon Community College, Obama stopped for a speech on a day trip that slices through the layers of the nation's struggling economy, from the tiny farming hamlet of Schnecksville to the post-industrial, urban Allentown, where he is headed for lunch.

The president came touting hallmarks of his recovery strategy, targeting infrastructure, clean technology and small businesses. The Lehigh Valley had a 9.8 percent unemployment rate in October, but Obama was able to tout the morning's good tidings - the national jobless rate in November fell from 10.2 percent to 10 percent.

"Today's report is another hopeful sign that these steps have helped turn the tide," Obama told a cheering crowd of invited faculty, students, local business leaders and others at the college. "But we have a lot more work to do before we can celebrate."

Departing from his prepared text, the president said his own family had members who were looking for work. He did not elaborate.

A few dozen protesters lined Route 309, the road to the community college, marrying their causes to the president's jobs-themed visit with signs such as "Abortion Kills Future American Workers."

A roughly equal number of Obama supporters turned out, and some 200 protesters gathered outside the college.

Merchants marked the visit as well; Liberty Bell Beverage's sign welcomed Obama, and Burger King invited him to stimulate the Lehigh Valley by chowing on a whopper.

Obama instead had a cheeseburger, at the Hamilton Family Restaurant in Allentown just after 1 p.m. He dined with local business owners and Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, and talked with Applied Separations CEO Rolf Schlake about his "supercritical fluids" business.

Pawlowski sat to Obama's left as Schlake explained that supercritical fluids, which are used in complex industrial processes, are like a fourth state of matter. Schlake asked Obama what he knew about supercritical fluids.

"I know that's super critical for you," Obama joked.

Earlier in the day, he and his entourage strolled through Allentown Metal Works, the site on in Allentown's old industrial section where Mack Trucks were once manufactured.

Amid steel rafters painted green and showing years of wear and rust, Obama talked with workers and company officials. He asked president and COO Michael McSully how much the company has had to make in capital investments to modernize the factory, which makes heavy steel construction components - including trusses for the transit center beneath the new World Trade Center.

Company officials ticked off figures in excess of $500,000.

The plant dates back a century and now employs about 65 workers, down from as many as 100.

Surrounded by massive cylindrical chunks of steel, the president made small talk with workers and their bosses. "Hey, Dave," Obama shouted to a worker from a catwalk. "He (a supervisor) says you're a good golfer. You been taking his money?"

The worker shouted back, "Yeah."