Heat Problems Plague Crowd At Michelle Obama Event
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A South Florida crowd waiting for First Lady Michelle Obama to speak had problems with the South Florida heat Wednesday.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said 14 people had to be treated for outdoor, heat-related complaints at the campaign event at the War Memorial Auditorium. Five of those were taken to Broward Health and nine patients were treated on the scene.
She started her day at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville. There she announced that under the program "Joining Forces," 2,000 businesses around the country have hired or trained more than 125,000 military veterans and spouses in the past year, exceeding a White House goal of 100,000 by the end of next year.
"More and more businesses are recognizing that hiring veterans is good for their bottom line, and they are making bold commitments to bring veterans into their ranks," said Brad Cooper, executive director of the first lady's Joining Forces effort.
The First Lady spoke to supporters about the campaign's new It Takes One effort, which encourages them to help grow the campaign's grassroots network between now and November.
"This election will be even closer than the last one. This election like so many others could come down to those last few thousand votes, especially in states like Florida," she told an exuberant crowd of about 2,500 packed into a hot Fort Lauderdale auditorium.
She told volunteers to remind undecided voters that her husband cut taxes for small businesses, closed the gap in prescription drug coverage for seniors known as "the doughnut hole." She said they should also remind voters that he ordered the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Mrs. Obama aimed her appeal to middle-class supporters, recalling her father's job as a pump operator to remind them that she and the president understand the importance of rewarding hard work and giving everyone an equal opportunity.
"When it comes time to stand up for the middle class...who's going to have your back?" said Mrs.Obama. She spent nearly 20 minutes talking with volunteers in the crowd after her speech.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from South Florida and chair of the Democratic National Committee, also spoke at the event, warning seniors that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan's budget "would end Medicare as we know it."
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
