President Obama arrived in Cincinnati Thursday afternoon to tout his newest bill meant to stimulate the economy with billions of dollars in infrastructure investment for job creation. The Obama team chose the “functionally obsolete” Brent Spence Bridge connecting Kentucky and Ohio, and the still concrete trucks at the local Hilltop Concrete company for the event’s symbolic backdrop. The president arrived in Cincinnati for two reasons: one, to gain support in the backyards of two chief Republican critics—Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio, and two, he appeared on the northern banks of the river in swing state Ohio in an early quest for electoral votes in a key battleground.
The Brent Spence Bridge—named for career Kentucky congressman (1931-62)—became a political focus when the president mentioned it in his recent speech to Congress. The double-decker structure carries more than double the daily traffic and cargo it was built for in 1963. Cincinnati-area leaders have pushed for repair or replacement of the bridge for about as long as local Bengals fans have prayed for another Super Bowl appearance.
