NYC Letter: Overwhelmed By Awesomeness, Part III

Day 28 of CHOPE

Mr. Obama takes awesome CHOPE on the road, preaching doom, promising jobs.

CATERPILLAR TO HIRE IF STIMULUS PASSES: OBAMA

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia February 11, 2009 (CST/AP) - President Barack Obama, campaigning to cast his economic plan in terms of real jobs and families, said Wednesday that machinery giant Caterpillar Inc. plans to rehire some of its laid-off workers if Congress approves a sweeping stimulus bill.

Today, the chairman and CEO of Caterpillar said that if the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan passes, his company would be able to rehire some of those employees.

He did not specify to whom the company chairman and CEO, Jim Owens, made such a pledge. The heavy-equipment maker has announced more than 20,000 job cuts, as shrinking credit and construction demands hurt orders for tractors and other machines.

Again the next day at the Caterpiller plant in East Peoria.

When they finally pass our plan, I believe it will be a major step forward. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Yesterday, Jim, the head of Caterpillar, said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off. ... That's a story I'm confident will be repeated across the country.

President Obama,
campaigning for his trillion dollar stimulus bill
at dispirited Caterpillar plant
PEORIA, Illinois February 12, 2009 (ABC News/LAT)

Caterpillar announced 22,000 layoffs last month.

I think, realistically, no.

The honest reality is we're probably going to have more layoffs before we start hiring again.

James Owens,
Caterpillar CEO, spoiling Mr. Obama's trillion dollar magic
PEORIA, Illinois February 12, 2009 (ibid.)

CATERPILLAR CEO SEES MORE COMPANY LAYOFFS
February 12, 2009 (Forbes/AP)

OBAMA'S STIMULUS MESSAGE FALLS
ON SKEPTICAL EARS AT CATERPILLAR PLANT

EAST PEORIA, Illinois February 13, 2009 (LAT) - President Obama preached a message of hope about the economy here Thursday, praising employees gathered in a Caterpillar plant for soldiering through tough times, and he promised that help is on the way.

But the audience was dotted with dispirited workers who had just gotten word of 20,000 layoffs coming at the heavy-equipment giant, and though community leaders and managers cheered Obama’s words, others in the crowd were in no mood to join in.

"It really doesn't mean anything," plant employee John Melaga said as a jubilant march blared from the loudspeakers.

No, Mr. Melaga, no, it doesn't.

CHOPE.

Always good news. Always upbeat. [Pause.] Leaves town the same afternoon.