As Michigan voters cast ballots in their state's primary on Tuesday, President Barack Obama will be trumpeting the success of his rescue of the auto industry at a convention of United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union leaders, the White House says.
Spokesman Josh Earnest denied that Obama had accepted the union's invitation with the primary date in mind.
"No," he told reporters at his daily briefing. "The decision to speak to the UAW was related … to the president's interest in talking to the United Auto Workers about the success of the president's policies."
But the event will have an undeniable flavor of presidential politics, in no small part because Michigan-born Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has made attacks on Obama's auto industry rescue package a key part of his stump speech.
A UAW official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied that the timing of the conference had been worked out for maximum symbolic effect.
"We've been planning the conference probably since our last one a year ago. So I don't think it was with that day in mind," she said, adding that the union had extended an "open invitation" to the president to speak at the five-day conference.
Obama, seizing the opportunity to promote his economic policies, "will discuss the steps we must take to create an economy built to last, where everybody has a fair shot, where the middle class and those fighting to get into it get a fair shake," said spokesman Earnest.
"He will discuss the steps we took to get our economy back on track -- including saving the American auto industry," the spokesman said.
The UAW says its National Community Action Program conference, which opens Sunday and runs through Thursday, will draw more than 1,600 active and retired UAW members to "discuss the union's legislative and political priorities for the coming year, meet with members of Congress to advocate on behalf of working families and prepare for the union's 2012 electoral campaign."
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards will address the gathering on Sunday. Monday's program includes remarks from top Obama economic policy adviser Gene Sperling and Democratic Representative Barney Frank. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer will be there on Tuesday. Democratic Representatives Xavier Becerra and Emanuel Cleaver will speak to the group on Thursday, as will Democratic National Committee executive director Patrick Gaspard.
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