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Obama Does Lunch At Clearwater Pub

Posted Sep 23, 2008 by William March

Updated Sep 23, 2008 at 05:09 PM

Arriving in Florida to do his debate prep, Barack Obama stopped at O’Keefe’s, a pub across from Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, to chat up some lunchgoers, then headed to the Belleview Biltmore for a news conference about the bailout bill.

Obama outlined four principles he said must be met in the bailout bill: that CEOs of failing companies should not be rewarded with big bonuses and severance packages and companies receiving aid must cut executive salaries; that a commission, not a single individual, should control the bailout effort; that taxpayers must share in profit when the financial industry recovers; and that the plan must provide help to individuals, not just corporations.

  The Associated Press

At the pub, Obama ordered a cheeseburger, then went from table to table talking to patrons. Because the place is popular with Plant workers, he ended up in several conversations about health care.

“He’s the only one who talks about preventive medicine and the importance of nutrition,” said Nadine Pazder, a dietitian and president of the Florida Dietetic Association. A couple of her tablemates, fellow dietitians Emily Friedman and Anne Szabo, got their photo taken with Obama.

Walter Varrionuevo and J.R. Richardson, clinical engineers, talked to Obama about health care costs.

Jeanne Hopper and Shirley Craig happened to be driving around downtown Clearwater when they saw Obama’s motorcade and followed it. They ended up chatting briefly with him in the restaurant. “We’re very big supporters, ” Craig said. Both are planning to go to Obama’s rally in Dunedin on Wednesday.