President Obama rooting for Steelers in Super Bowl

Published on January 30, 2009 by Seahawk Fanatic

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama said he’s pulling for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals in football’s biggest game on Sunday – and he did so with a politician’s touch.

Obama said Thursday that he would root for Pittsburgh against the “long-suffering” and “great Cinderella story” Cardinals. His spokesman also said the president would watch the game with members of Congress.

“I have to say, you know, I wish the Cardinals the best,” Obama said diplomatically. “You know, Kurt Warner is a great story, and he’s closer to my age than anybody else on the field.”

Warner, Arizona’s 37-year-old quarterback, came out of nowhere about a decade ago to take the St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, including a title in 2000. Just when he seemed washed up, Warner rose to the top again this year with a stellar performance. His team was not expected to make the playoffs, let alone get to the title game.

Steelers owner Dan Rooney, a longtime Republican, endorsed Obama’s presidential bid and campaigned for him. During Oval Office remarks, Obama noted that one of the Steelers most beloved former players, Franco Harris, had campaigned for him in Pittsburgh, too.

“Other than the (Chicago) Bears,” Obama said, “the Steelers are probably the team that’s closest to my heart.”

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said the invitation to watch the Super Bowl is part of the new administration’s efforts to work across the political aisle, similar to his bipartisan cocktail party Wednesday night at the executive mansion.

“You know, the president also wanted last night to be a little bit more social, you know, so that individuals could better get to know each other and understand where they’re coming from in these legislative disagreements,” Gibbs told reporters Thursday. “But, again, you know, the president’s outreach on this will continue.”

During the pregame show, Obama also planned to participate in a live interview on NBC with Matt Lauer.

Vice President Joe Biden, a native of Scranton, Pa., also is cheering for the Steelers. He told CNBC that he’s having a Super Bowl party at the vice president’s residence “with some of our Republican and Democratic friends.”

“I know you’re supposed to be one of these guys that says I’m not sure,” said Biden. “But I want to make clear, I’m rooting for the Steelers. Go, Mr. Rooney.”

FOX Sports on MSN – NFL – Obama rooting for Steelers in Super Bowl.

Seahawks 12th Man Army has now gone mobile! Go to http://www.noticeorange.com/r/Seahawks12thManArmy to get an app for your phone. It's free and it has alerts so that you'll know whenever Seahawks 12th Man Army has anything new. What could be better?

Tags: Barack Obama, Chicago Bears, Cinderella Story, Closest To My Heart, Cocktail Party, Dan Rooney, Executive Mansion, football, Franco Harris, Kurt Warner, Live Interview, Longtime Republican, Matt Lauer, Members Of Congress, NFL FOOTBALL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Political Aisle, Pregame Show, Robert Gibbs, St. Louis Rams, Stellar Performance, Super Bowls

Fair Use Notice This website may at times present copyrighted material, the use of which might not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available in an effort to advance understandings of democratic, economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. The author believes that this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U. S. Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the articles published on this website are distributed without profit for research and informational purposes. In most instances a link is placed to originator of Article and it is never expressly mentioned as written by, we use published by certain entities who write or publish for this said Blog..