REDFORD, Mich. (WWJ) – President Obama leaves Washington, D.C. and travels to Michigan today to talk to workers at Daimler Detroit Diesel. It’s part of his strategy to generate public support for his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff: the tax hikes and spending cuts due to kick in at the end of the year.
While the president’s visit today comes on the eve of the final right to work vote in Lansing, that issue may only get a passing mention in a speech mostly focused on taxes.
“He does not want competing issues or other static in the environment to take away from what he wants on taxes, and he’s got three weeks left to make his case,” said Eastern Michigan University Professor Ed Sidlow.
While Mr. Obama didn’t need to visit Michigan during the presidential campaign, Sidlow says this visit could help him in his new campaign for his tax plan. Central to negotiations between the president and Republicans is whether to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
Support from auto workers helped President Obama win Michigan and Ohio, two competitive states that were key to his re-election last month. Since the election, Mr. Obama has also returned to Pennsylvania to promote his solution for the fiscal cliff.
WWJ’s Auto Beat Reporter Jeff Gilbert will be covering the president’s visit. Listen to WWJ Newsradio 950 and check back with CBS Detroit.com for complete coverage.
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