“Now, I already told these guys, no matter how big they are, I am a Bears fan,” said President Barack Obama as he welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers to the White House on Thursday for the typical post-championship back slapping.
But he also knows how to cover his bases in a swing state like Pennsylvania. “It’s no secret that I was pulling for the Steelers during the Super Bowl last year, and that’s part of the reason why this is so much fun for me,” he added. “This isn’t me trying to have it both ways — everybody knows I’m pretty serious about my sports teams — but growing up in Hawaii when I was a kid, we didn’t have a local football team.”
On hand to witness the ceremony: Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter; VA Secretary Eric Shinseki; Teresa Heinz Kerry; Reps. Tim Murphy, Mike Doyle, Glenn Thompson and Tom Rooney; and team owner Dan Rooney, whom Obama has nominated to serve as ambassador to Ireland.
After the ceremony, the president, the team and his guests helped to put together 3,000 USO care packages for troops serving overseas.
