No Republicans accompanied President Barack Obama on his campaign-style trip to Michigan, according to the White House.
Fifty politicians were invited to accompany Obama on his trip, but no Republicans accepted the invite, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on the trip. The fly-in was advertised by the White House as an opportunity “to see firsthand what institutions are doing to create jobs and drive innovation that benefits farmers, ranchers, our rural communities, and our nation as a whole.”
Obama is also expected to deliver a campaign-style speech at Michigan State University about the multi-year, $1 trillion farm bill. Obama get some TV coverage, partly because he’s going to sign the bill after the speech.
The trip is also intended to boost Democrats’ sagging ratings during the run-up to the 2014 election.
In Michigan’s Senate race, Republican Terri Lynn Land is leading Democratic Rep. Gary Peters by 42 percent to 37 percent, according to a new poll by American Crossroads, a business-backed political group.
The GOP leads in the state, partly because Obama’s state-wide rating is lousy. His approval rating is 38 percent, while his disapproval rate is 52 percent, according to Crossroads’ poll.