Obama goes to Iowa and his people hired out a caterer from a deli, owned by two men, a registered Democrat and a registered Republican. Obama's people talked to the Democrat an set up the catering job, but the other owner, the Republican was there to provide the food for the White House press corps covering the president’s three-day swing across Iowa this week.
The Republican did so while wearing a T-shit which said "Government didn’t build my business. I did."
Sounds like a joke right? Well it wasn't.
Ross Murty is the Republican co-owner of Village Corner Deli and his partner is Bret Dalton, the Democrat.
To Murty it was business and he asserts that even he wouldn't say no to anybody for any reason, but he did tell the reporter, "No one from the government was there when we were sweating it, when we were building this business."
The T-shirt wording is in reference to Obama's controversial, you didn't build that" remarks, which offended many business owners and opened up an opportunity for Mitt Romney to campaign with business owners across the country that declare, "we built this" as Mr. Murty has done.
Transcript of Obama's remarks, in context, via YouTube video:
Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.
Romney campaign ads of business owners across the country saying We Built This, include, "These Hands", "These Hands: Ohio", and "These Hands: Virginia", "These Hands: Nevada " and "These Hands: Texas."
[Update] A contrasting story is also in the news today of a new business owner that would turn down the business because he refused to part of a photo op for an adminsitration with policies he doesn't agree with, specifically mentioning Obama's now infamous "you didn't built that" remarks.
Wednesday morning, advance teams for Vice President Joe Biden walked in.
"I approached her she said Joe Biden is coming to town today," McMurray said.
"Crumb and Get It" is a mom and pop store. Literally. Chris and his wife Kelly run the place and need all the business they can get.
McMurray said the Vice President's entourage got to the point and made its pitch.
"She said they have selected 'Crumb and Get It" to be his stop on his way to Blacksburg and was wondering if that was ok."
Here's the part that might make other business owners crazy.
"This is an opportunity of a lifetime but essentially I said 'No offense to you or the campaign but I just decline you guys coming in here. At that time she said 'Are you sure? There's going to be a lot of press, a lot of activity,’" McMurray said.
Why in the world would a new business owner say "no" to a photo op with the Vice President of the United States?
McMurray said it was President Obama's recent remarks about small business and who built what.
"Very simply, ‘you didn't build that’” McMurray said. “Speaking of small businesses and entrepreneurs all across this country and actually last night my wife was up all night. No sleep, she's worked a full 24 hours."
Both Murty and McMurray disagree and were offended by Obama's remarks but they both handled the situation very differently. One making a statement with the T-Shirt and the other refusing to be associated with Biden and/or the Obama administration at all.
It does not appear that business owners are going to forgive and forget the insult they feel Obama threw at them.
