President Obama Wraps Up Miami Stop
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Commander-in-Chief made a quick stop in town.
Air Force One landed just before 4:30 p.m. Friday with President Barack Obama on board.
The Democratic National Committee told potential donors in an email last month that it may be the last time the commander-in-chief visits Miami as a sitting president.
Wooing the Democratic donors, President Obama said the coming election is taking place in a "fascinating media environment" in which "strange things can happen" because celebrity and fame drive so much of the news coverage.
Obama said he generally just watches sports on television, but his staff told him presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump generated 70 percent of recent news coverage. He called on Democrats to develop a sense of urgency.
"I want us to run scared the whole time," Obama said at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.
Obama has tried to avoid showing favoritism in the race, wary of turning off Bernie Sanders supporters while votes are still being cast. But that pose is certain to shift quickly once Clinton is declared the presumptive nominee.
White House officials said the president is ready to get off the sidelines and become an active player on the campaign trail. Enjoying an uptick in his approval rating, Obama is likely to be welcomed by Clinton and Senate candidates in traditional Democratic strongholds and key battleground states.
During his visit, President Obama had a jam-packed schedule.
He's raising money for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the Democratic National Committee as well as for U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy's Senate bid and for other Democrats.
Murphy is vying for the Democratic nomination to run for the Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio. Murphy faces Alan Grayson in the Democratic Primary.
The commander-in-chief was at the home of businessman Steven Greene in Miami Beach who was an ambassador to Singapore during Bill Clinton's presidency for the DSCC fundraiser.
After leaving Miami Beach, the president headed to the home of Attorney Robert Rubenstein where about 90 people are expected to pay at least $10,000 apiece for the DNC fundraiser.
Tickets start at $10,000 a plate, with those who contribute $33,400 getting "co-host" status.
In addition to raising money for Democrats, Obama has road-tested early versions of his stump speech. He's shown himself ready to mock Trump, casting the race as a choice between continuing along the path he charted to economic recovery or veering into dangerous territory.
Obama said if the focus is on the economy, then "this election shouldn't be close."
Obama did not cite the latest jobs report in his remarks to donors before reporters were escorted away.
The report showed that the U.S. economy added only 38,000 jobs in May. The unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent from 5 percent, but mainly because about half a million unemployed people stopped looking for work.
Deputy Press Secretary Jennifer Friedman said the number for the month was disappointing, but insisted a temporary strike at Verizon had an impact. She pointed to payrolls growing at an average of 150,000 workers a month this year and an hourly earnings increase of 3.2 percent for private employees as telling "a better story of where things stand."
From Miami, the president headed to Martin County where he will stay overnight and play golf at the Floridian Golf Club in Palm City.
