Press Coverage

Politico – Julie Mason: “Rebranding Obama’s buscapade”
Real Clear Politics – Caitlin Huey-Burns: “RNC, Romney Go After Obama Ahead of Bus Tour”
Washington Times – Dave Boyer: “Obama calls for tax hikes, chides GOP foes”
Reuters – Kim Dixon: “Republicans group big donors early to face Obama”
Washington Post – David Nakamura: “Obama launches Midwest bus tour as Republicans attack the ‘Debt-End Express’”
ABC News – Devin Dwyer: “Obama Launches Bus Tour Amid Republican Criticism”
Daily Caller – Amanda Carey: “GOP doubles down on criticism during Obama’s bus tour”
Des Moines Register – Jason Clayworth: “Republicans launch ‘Obama’s debt-end tour’”
Daily Caller – Jeff Winkler: “New RNC ads target candidate Obama”
Univision – Jordan Fabian: “President Obama’s jobs tour: what to expect”
Atlantic Wire – Elspeth Reeve: “GOP Hammers Obama on His Midwestern Jobs Tour”
CBS News – Mark Knoller: “U.S. Secret Services gets 2 new buses ahead of Obama tour”
Newsmax – Greg McDonald: “RNC: Obama Riding ‘Debt-End Bus Tour’”
MPR – Elizabeth Dunbar: “RNC chairman appears in Cannon Falls ahead of Obama event”
Chicago Sun Times – Lynn Sweet: “Republicans attack Obama’s bus tour as taxpayer paid campaigning”
CNN – Rebecca Stewart: “RNC mocks Obama’s ‘Debt-End Bus Tour’”
Fox News: “Obama Sets Out on Midwestern Bus Tour”
Hot Air – Tina Korbe: “The Obama jobs tour: A new RNC campaign dubs it “the debt-end bus tour”
Politico Playbook – Mike Allen: “Playbook”
Journal Courier – Mary Beth Schneider: “Can Obama hang onto Indiana in 2012?”
USA Today – David Jackson: “Obama bus tour has campaign overtones”
MPR – Tom Scheck: “The Daily Digest (Obama visits, Bachmann wins and Pawlenty quits)”
The Hill – Michael O’Brien: “RNC ready to counter Obama bus tour”
Politico – James Hohmann: “Morning Score”
Washington Post – Jennifer Rubin: “Obama’s bus tour”

Hispanic Media Coverage

EFE: “Obama pide ayuda de votantes y promueve agenda económica en región clave 2012“
El Nacional: “Obama estrena el Bus Force One de 1,1 millones de dólares“
BBC – William Marquez: ”Obama al contraataque“

TV Coverage

Dylan Ratigan Show (MSNBC): RNC “Debt-End” Tour
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DYLAN RATINGAN: well, fresh off an all-time approval rating low of 39%, president obama trading washington for the midwest fired up this three-state bus tour today in minnesota on jobs and the economy. mitt romney calling it the magical misery tour. kind of funny. the rnc coined it the debt and bus tour. that one also pretty clever.

CNN Live: RNC on Obama’s Bus Tour
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HOST:  three days, three states, five little towns, a very big political spotlight. president obama has just wrapped up his remarks in ken an falls, minnesota. stop number one in what the white house is calling an economic bus tour. republicans have other names for it. mitt romney calls it a magical misery tour. the rnc points out that it happens to crisscross several battleground states critical to the president’s reelection. in iowa this evening and illinois on wednesday. it’s south of minneapolis, hasn’t hosted a u.s. president since calvin coolidge in 1928. in his outdoor town hall, president obama reflected on more recent event. the credit downgrade and the issues behind it.

Fox Business Network: RNC on Obama’s Bus Tour
http://mms.tveyes.com/ExpandGuest.asp?ln=561986

HOST:  the rnc says the aba ministration policy is the reason standard and poor’s downgraded a and irani calls for the president trip the magical mystery tour and the rnc calls a good debt end bus tour showing minnesota lost 51,000 jobs.

CNN Live (CNN): RNC on Obama’s Bus Tour
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HOST:  you have been listening to president obama in cannon falls, minnesota. one of the first moments in his three-day, three-state tour. he explained we have had bad luck here in the u.s. for the last six months, and wants to rebuild america right now, and he says that is possible and could put hundreds of thousands of folks to work right now. he says it’s time for the games to stop. time to put the country first. as i said, this is three days, three states, and five little towns under a big political spotlight. any second now, we have been listening there, and any second now he should continue with the questions from cannon falls, minnesota. stop number one, what the white house is calling the economic bus tour. and mitt romney calls it a magical misery tour. and the rnc pinpoints, it crisscrosses states critical to the election. cannon falls has not host add president since coolage in 1928. president obama reflected on more recent history, the gridlock of summer of 2011.

CNN Live (CNN): RNC Chairman Reince Priebus (President’s Bus Tour)
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CATHERINE CALLAWAY:  and this heads the republican national committee and joins me on the phone from where else, cannon falls, minnesota. what are the odds? you are shadowing the president’s bus tour, and you say it’s not about the economy, and this is about the election, am i right?

CHAIRMAN REINCE PRIEBUS:  well, that’s right. he is spending taxpayer dollars on a bus tour disguised as some kind of, you know, economic event for the country, and we all know what it is. it’s a campaign event paid for by the taxpayers. you just heard his speech. he is living in an alternative universe. he is talking about who is playing games in washington. this president is the king of games and the king of speeches and the king of campaigning, and he has not led on a single thing in the country since he passed a trillion dollar stimulus package that lost 2.5 million jobs. you know, he can go and keep competing for the forensic speech award, but the american people are looking for somebody to start leading the country, and he is blaming bad luck, the arab spring for our problems in this country? how about out of control spending and entitlements that are out of control and a president that is not engaged? that’s the problem.

CALLAWAY:  let me ask you about the rnc airing the radio ads and the web spot calling it quote the debt end bus tour, and explain what you mean by that.

CHAIRMAN PRIEBUS:  well, that’s right. that’s why we’re in minnesota. we’re launching the debt end bus tour. we’re doing text campaigns to highlight to the american people that what this president is the king of, is not only the king of games, but the king of debt and the king of failed promises and the king of saying one thing and doing another, and that’s why we’re herein minnesota, and iowa and throughout the midwest and we will be highlighting to the american people that what this president is feeding us is a bunch of dog food and trying to disguise it as some economic food for america, and it’s a joke and paid for by the american people, and it’s about time that some people start calling it what it is, and it’s a fraud, and that’s what we’re doing here in minnesota.

CALLAWAY:  let’s talk about the gop field in the wake of the iowa straw poll. you look at the names now, and you have rick perry in and tim pawlenty out, and michele bachmann as the frontrunner, and mitt romney seventh, and how important do you think iowa is?

CHAIRMAN PRIEBUS:  it’s important. all the tests are very important. it creates a tremendous amount of buzz for our candidates. i am a big believer in the big primaries. it gets the voices out there and people in the newspapers and on television, and we start to have a conversation with many different candidates about what we need to do to change drebtions in this country, and save america economically, and make barack Obama a one-term president. that’s great.

CALLAWAY:  pleasure to have you on, and rnc chairman, and enjoy your time in cannon falls, that’s a lovely place. thank you.

KARE-MIN (NBC) – Minneapolis, MN: Pres. Obama’s Visit
http://mms.tveyes.com/ExpandGuest.asp?ln=561893

HOST:  welcome back to the show. time now is 11:28. big news today, of course president Obama’s visit to minnesota. our haley jennings is live in canon falls with the latest on the president’s visit.

HALEY JENNINGS: president Obama is here in canon falls. we just saw his bus ride by. it’s exciting, there’s a lot of hoopla. large number have turned out, along with national media. they have taken their place around the stage. they are waiting for him to take the stage. he is supposed to take the stage in about 15 minutes. we just saw him pull on the the ground in the bus. earlier air force one landed. president Obama is here already, but earlier in the morning the republican national chairman held a press conference cheering on the republicans and criticizing president Obama’s policies. young and old alike turned out for that event. back here in the democratic arena, president Obama is supposed to be talking about growing jobs, increasing the economy, and reconnecting with the people here in the midwest and really trying to restore confidence in our nation’s economy. that is the goal of the day. he’ll be talking in about 15 minutes. we’ll be streaming his speech live on kare11.com. tomorrow president Obama is supposed to stop in iowa and on wednesday he’ll be in illinois. live from canon falls, haley jennings, back to you.

MSNBC LIVE (MSNBC): Contessa Brewer (RNC Ad)
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CONTESSA BREWER:  who may have supported the president’s re-election, but as the economy turns, well who knows what happens with those votes. again, we heard jay carney pushing back against this being a political trip. he said quote, to suggest anytime the president leaves washington it’s a political trip would mean that the presidents could never leave unless they were physically campaigning on his own behalf and he’s not. the rnc is pushing ck. reince priebus sent out this video.

VIDEO CLIP (RNC AD): dead end tour. minnesota 19,000 manufacturering and 19,000 construction jobs have been lost in iowa. 6,000 construction jobs lost since he took office.

BREWER:  isn’t this a problem plaguing the president, if the buck stops here, the buck stops in the oval office no matter what policies are made statewide.

Happening Now (FNC): RNC Chairman Reince Priebus (Obama Bus Tour)
http://mms.tveyes.com/ExpandGuest.asp?ln=561878

RICK FOLBAUM: well big changes in the gop race for the white house as michelle bachmann pulls out a victory in the iowa straw poll this weekend. then tim pawlenty calls it quits. but texas governor rick perry officially joins the race this weekend. all this as president obama launched a midwest road trip, one that the republican national committee has dubbed the debt and bust tour. joining us now is the chairman of the rnc. i understand you’re having your own bus tour. were you feeling little bit left out ryan?

CHAIRMAN REINCE PRIEBUS:  we are going to come out swreupbging. swinging. we are not going to sit around and let this bus tour be paid for by the taxpayers, debt is out of control, and the president who is really the campaigner and chief here of america, all he’s doing is campaigning, that’s what this bus tour is, it’s a campaign trip, it’s paid for by taxpayers and we are not going to sit around and let it continue without at least responding.

FOLBAUM: you have to feel good coming out of iowa, all the press the gop candidates have got even over the last several days. rick perry in the race. how do you like the field that is emerging?

CHAIRMAN PRIEBUS:  i think it’s great. i’m a big believe this big primary fields, getting everyone talking and debating the issues. all the earned media that all the candidates are generating, the buzz in america to change direction, make barack obama a one-term president, that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what we are doing here today in minnesota today.

FOLBAUM: beyond the gop prescription that we hear a lot of, as far as lower taxes, fewer regulations, what is the republican plan to get people back to work?

CHAIRMAN PRIEBUS:  well, i mean for one thing it would be nice if we had a president who actually fulfilled the promises that he made. remember, he’s the one that said he was going to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. what did he do? the biggest structural deficit in the history of america. the debt, you’ve heard people say it’s one of the bigot security threats to our entire country is mountains of debt. that means we are spending too much money, we are not serious about the fact that the government is making promises that it can’t keep. we need people of their word to run for office, say what they are going to do and go to the white house and go do it. unfortunately that is not what this president is all about, and we’re going to call him on it every step of the way from here to 2012.

FOLBAUM: how are things at the rnc in you didn’t inherit a well oiled machine there. no secret what kinds of things were going on there under your predecessor. do you feel you’re in a good position money wise to compete in 2012, not just for the white house but all the races.

CHAIRMAN PRIEBUS:  yes, up and down the ticket there is no doubt about it. we’ve had a bigger net take than we’ve had in many, many years. we are doing well, functional, operational, it’s a matter of getting ourselves on the launch pad so we can take on barack obama, win the senate and take the how. we are excited about it. there is an energy, a movement in the field that we will capture here in 2012. the movement is with taking back america and making barack obama a one-term president.

FOLBAUM: the chairman of the republican national committee. kind of you to join us today. nice to talk to you. looking forward to doing it again soon.

CHAIRMAN PRIEBUS:  happy to be back in the midwest.

KSTP-MIN (ABC) - Minneapolis, MN: Pres. Obama’s Visit to MN
http://mms.tveyes.com/ExpandGuest.asp?ln=561689

HOST 1:  president Obama is bringing his message to a community … south of the metro. a preview of what he’ll talk about in cannon falls today.// a wild ride for the world markets ..could help put money in your pocket. but it’s also, creating fear of a double dip recession.// codes are popping up on newspapers..magazines.. and billboards. the benefits you can get.. from simply snapping a shot of the two-d barcodes. good morning, thanks for joining us. i’m rebekah wood. good morning,

HOST 2:   i’m brad sattin. it’s a big day in the small city of cannon falls. thousands lined up for a chance to get tickets to see president Obama when he visits today. only 500 got tickets. the president is expected to talk economy and jobs. 5 eyewitness news reporter robert moses is live in cannon falls with a preview of the visit… robert …

REPORTER:  the visit is a big deal for this small city. look at the sign over my shoulder welcoming president Obama. about five hundred people got tickets to this afternoon’s town hall event at lower hannah’s bend park. the mayor of cannon falls told me this city of a little more than four-thousand people could swell to two-and-a-half times that population today. he compared the crowd that’s expected to what this city sees on july fourth. police say those who lined up stayed peaceful yesterday. will morrison experienced the agony of defeat…katrina karlsen carlson? the thrill of victory. the town hall event here is supposed to start just after noon at lower hannah’s bend park. president Obama will also travel to iowa and illinois. coming up at six, we’ll speak live with the mayor of cannon falls about what this visit means to cannon falls. live in cannon falls, robert moses, 5 ewn.

REPORTER:  republicans plan to address the community.. before president Obama..takes the stage this morning. republican national committee chairman.. reince priebus.. and minnesota chairman tony sutton… are criticizing.. what they call.. president Obama’s taxpayer funded.. “”debt-end”" bus tour. they claim– he isn’t offering any specific plans.. to tackle america’s debt crisis. the republican news conference.. is scheduled in cannon falls.. at nine. we’ll be covering the president’s visit throughout the day..from start to finish on five eyewitness news. we’ll be there live.. when the president arrives in minneapolis this morning.. and we’ll have live reports..from his event in cannon falls.. on five eyewitness news at midday. the president…has one fewer challenger in the race for the white house this morning.

Special Report (FNC) Ed Henry (President Obama’s Midwest Bus Tour)
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CHRIS WALLACE: president obama’s job approval rating has hit the lowest point ever. he is getting 39%. 54% of the survey disapproved of his performance. today, the president launched his own three-state midwestern bus tour. white house correspondent ed henry reports while it’s billed as official business and looks and feels like something else.

ED HENRY: president obama’s aide insist this trip is unrelated to the trip on the Republican side, but there are unmistaken signs the re-election campaign is on. a beautiful midwestern setting, american flag. plus, new fleet of buses ideal for presidential barnstorming. with stops in iowa, home oh to straw poll everyone was buzzing about and a stop the state that straw poll winner michele bachmann represents in congress. but aides say the president’s target here is not Republicans in the race, it’s Republicans in congress.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: no shortage of ideas to put people to work right now. what is needed is action on the part of congress. willingness to put partisan games aside and say we are going to do what is right for the country. not what we think will score political points for the next election.

HENRY: he is visiting towns he won in 2008. which all now have unemployment rateshe National average. pretty much guaranteeing he didn’t face much anger at the town halls. some questioners were teeing up the talking point.

PERSON: if we’re serious about the debt we need to ask the millionaire and billionaires to give up the tax break so the burden is not entirely on us.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: i completely agree with you.

HENRY: the Republican National Committee is blasting what it dubbed the dead end tour.

CHAIRMAN REINCE PRIEBUS: we’re not going to continue to sit around and let the bus tour continue that is paid for by taxpayers of the country and paid for by people suffering with unemployment through the sky.

HENRY: white house agents say it’s appropriate for president to interact with people around the country on official times. the secret service officials say new buses were purchased because the leased vehicles don’t have proper security and communication. the white house is clearly hoping this bus tour goes better than last time in 2008. while it ended in victory, he rolled through pennsylvania, and infamously rolled pitiful score of 37 in a bowling alley. meanwhile, folks in iowa waiting for the president to start another town hall meeting in the next few moments, may be waiting for a new economic plan. but aides say details won’t come for weeks.

WALLACE: ed henry on the road in iowa with the president. thank you for that.

Dylan Ratigan Show (MSNBC) Dylan Ratigan (Republican Criticism on President Obama’s Bus Tour)
http://mms.tveyes.com/ExpandGuest.asp?ln=561995

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: our biggest challenge right now is putting people to work, but i’m going to need your help to make it happen. you’ve got to send a message to washington that it’s time for the games to stop.

RATIGAN: well, fresh off an all-time approval rating low of 39%, president obama trading washington for the midwest fired up this three-state bus tour today in minnesota on jobs and the economy. mitt romney calling it the magical misery tour. kind of funny. the RNC coined it the debt and bus tour. that one also pretty clever.mind you, neither party doing anything other than discussing jobs. the only thing republicans seem good at at this point is name-calming the president. those were kind of funny, most of those

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