so to those who say that america's best days are behind us, let them come here, to manitowoc. let them come to this once-shuttered factory that is now bustling with workers building new technologies for the world. let them come here to see the incredible promise of our country. this is the future. and it's bright. thank you. >> hello, my name is ron johnson. i'm the newly elected senator from the great state of wisconsin. for those of you who don't know me, this is the first elective office i have ever sought or held. the reason i ran is simple and straightforward. we are bankrupting america, and i thought it was time for citizen legislators to come to washington to help those individuals already here that are seriously facing that reality. for the last 31 years, i have been running a plastics manufacturing plant in oshkosh, wisconsin. as a manufacturer, i have learned to identify and attack the root cause of a problem, not spend my time addressing mere symptoms. huge deficits, slow economic activity, high unemployment, and woefully inadequate job creation are severe symptoms

. >> reporter: an upbeat president obama bounded on stage today at a factory in manitowoc, wisconsin air, town on the fast track out of recession >> unemployment rate here is four points lower than it was at the beginning of last year. >> reporter: the president toured three green energy businesses here booming, in large part he said because of federal government investments in innovation. >> this is how we're going to win the future. >> reporter: the kind of investments he argued for in the state of the union address. >> the first step in winning the future is encouraging american innovation. >> reporter: but on a day when the government predicted this year's deficit will top $1.5 trillion, the highest ever, republicans condemn the president's so-called investments as nothing more than wasteful stimulus spending. the president, they note, had a long list of where to spend. >> repairing crumbling roads and bridges, high-speed rail, wind and solar. >> reporter: but he offered no new specific ideas on where to cut and his proposal of a five- year spending freeze is woefully inadequate.

so to those who say that america's best days are behind us, let them come here, to manitowoc.tered factory that is now bustling with workers building new technologies for the world. let them come here to see the incredible promise of our country. this is the future. and it's bright. thank you. >> hello, my name is ron johnson. i'm the newly elected senator from the great state of wisconsin. for those of you who don't know me, this is the first elective office i have ever sought or held. the reason i ran is simple and straightforward. we are bankrupting america, and i thought it was time for citizen legislators to come to washington to help those individuals already here that are seriously facing that reality. for the last 31 years, i have been running a plastics manufacturing plant in oshkosh, wisconsin. as a manufacturer, i have learned to identify and attack the root cause of a problem, not spend my time addressing mere symptoms. huge deficits, slow economic activity, high unemployment, and woefully inadequate job creation are severe symptoms of the problem. they are not the

that's why manitowoc was picked. i can assure you, several days after the bears lost, we wouldn't have so closely targeted a suburb basically of green bay to -- but i think that -- i do think you'll see the president travel more, and i think you'll see the president -- i think the president always feels better when he gets out of -- i don't mean out of the city, but out of -- you live and you work in the same place, it's nice to get out, it's nice to see and talk to those that -- like yesterday -- that are innovating, that are building. we'll take trips to schools to see decisions that are being made at a local or a state level to better educate children. and i think you -- for those that are in the pool, i think he goes on these tours with a genuine amount of curiosity as to why they're doing certain things, what they're building. and i think to be able to get out and talk directly with those that are putting those projects together, they're fun trips. yes, ma'am. >> just a quick clarification about what you said re

[cheers and applause] he says he is the mayor of manitowoc.'m looking at the guy and i don't think it's true, but i'm going to introduce him any way, justin nick ols is here. -- nichols is here. [cheers and applause] >> i look at a kid like that -- [laughter] >> i'm way behind. the mayor of green bay is here. [cheers and applause] and gus frank is here, mr. chairman, thank you so much. let me start by clearing something up. i'm not here because i lost a bet. [laughter] i just want to be clear about that. i have already gotten three green bay jersies. [cheers and applause] i mean. i have only been on the ground for an hour. [laughter] i have three jersies, and one of them is from woodson and he just said, see ya at the white house. [cheers and applause] >> so let me just get it out of the way. sunday was a tough day for bears' fans. i see one guy with a bears' hat here. he's got a lot of guts. [laughter] even if it didn't go the way i wanted, i'm glad to see one of the greatest rivalries in sports is still there and we will get you next year. i

in wisconsin the president visited three factories in the small town of manitowoc to push his theme fromgeneration alzheimer's. this year more than 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 every day. scientists now say alzheimer's will strike one of every eight of those. that's about 10 million folks. the study also finds the disease will take a financial toll, about $20 trillion over the next 40 years. >>> 13 players from the university of iowa's football team are in the hospital, suffering from a rare muscle disorder. it's a stress-induced muscle syndrome that can cause damage to cells and cause kidney failures. in a press conference yesterday doctors said they haven't pinpointed a cause but all players participated in grueling off-season workouts on the heels of a three-week holiday break. >>> lighter news this morning, our big birthday bash continues as we celebrate 19 years of "world news now." of course, we've been traveling back in time with anchors gone by. >> this morning my, of course, personal favorite, former co-anchor, jeremy hubbard is joining us live from boston. jeremy, i know yo

specifically, why is the president going to manitowoc and -- >> because it's near green bay [laughter] >> and it's in a swing state? >> -- and it's a humbling experience for a bears fan. no, look, i think you'll see the president go through -- and we'll have more on this as we get closer, in terms of his activities. this is an extension of some of the visits that he's done over the course of many months to go and talk with folks out in the country, to visit businesses and schools and hear about what's working, and the expectations and the hopes that people have for continued progress economically throughout the course of the next year. again, you'll see us not as much highlight stuff that we've been involved in, but things that are working at a state and local level that are important in dealing with the challenges that you'll hear the president discuss on tuesday. >> and building on the state of the union theme on competitiveness and jobs and stuff like that? >> absolutely, absolutely. >> thank you. [laughter] >> i'll do a couple more because -- >> robert, i had a question [laughter]

[applause] i came here to manitowoc to glance at future. it was right here almost 50 years ago -- i could not make this up. it was not until i was on my way here that i found out that a chalk of metal came crashing to the earth right here. i promise you, we did not plan this originally. the press will not believe me. it was part of a satellite called sputnik that landed right here. it set the space race into motion. i want to say to you today that it is here more than 50 years later that the race for the 21st century will be one. this is the place -- [applause] this is the place that has been doing what america has always done throughout its history. you have reinvented yourself. back in 2003, one of the largest employers around moved their operations abroad. that must have been a really tough time for this town. jobs were lost, families were hurting, the committee were shaken up. i know from my home state of illinois, when a candle loses its major employer, it is hard to bounceback. many younger people start moving away looking for opportu

m that is why i -- that is why manitowoc was picked. soak quickly after the bears lost, we would not picked something so close to green bay. i think you will see the president traveled more. the president always feels better when he gets -- i don't mean out of the city, but you work and live in the same place, it is nice to get out, nice to see and talk to those that, like yesterday, are innovating, that are building. we will take trips to schools to see decisions that are being made at a local or state level. for those that are in the pool, he goes on to the stores with a genuine amount of a curiosity -- on these tours with a genuine out of curiosity to see how they build these things. they are fun trips. >> regarding what you said about the press secretary announcement, it could be either today or tomorrow? >> it could. >> could come later? >> "or tomorrow" -- one or the other? >> i think what i said was the announcement will come when the president and all -- no, i was going to make a joke, but i will just get in trouble. the decisio