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President Obama Meets With House Democrats In Philadelphia

By Diana Rocco

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --The President is back in Washington after a quick trip to Philadelphia Thursday.

President Barack Obama spoke for about 20 minutes giving House Democrats a pep talk and setting the agenda for the year to come.

The President steps off Air Force One, minutes later his motorcade arrived in Society Hill where he addressed the House Democratic Caucus.

"We've now got some choices to make. Going forward are we going to be an economy in which a few do spectacularly well or are we going to be an economy in which everybody can succeed," said President Barack Obama.

President Obama talked about job growth, the economy and immigration at the Caucus retreat that began in Philadelphia earlier in the week.

"The ground that middle class families lost over the last thirty years still has to be made up," said the President.

His speech to more than 180 Democratic Congressional delegates was not without humor and a few jabs to the other side.

"I hear Republicans are holding their 50th or 60th vote next year to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act. I've lost count at this point. But here's something easy to remember.  If that bill ever reached my desk I would happily veto it."

Outside the President was met by a handful of demonstrators protesting the environment and the Keystone pipeline just approved by a Republican controlled Senate, a move the President has vowed to veto.

"In six years of the President being in office, the middle class has struggled all across this nation. At the door step of their homes they are greeted with more bills than ever, including a hefty bill from the administration which is simply a costly price for extreme policies," said Republican Malik Boyd.

Vice President Joe Biden will be in town Friday to address the Caucus.

 

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