OK, bye! President Barack Obama leaves Decorah, heads to Peosta

Photo courtesy of Dale Elsbernd

President Barack Obama left Decorah around 9:00 Tuesday morning.  The president's bus tour began its second day by heading for a Rural Economic Development Conference in Peosta.

Before leaving Decorah, the President visited Team Rehab for exercising.  He also greeted a few people on Water Street.

Obama's visit to Decorah was believed to be the first time a sitting president had ever visited the city.

The following is the White House Press Pool's report on Obama's departure:

Cheers erupted on the downtown street as President Barack Obama emerged from the Hotel Winneshiek this morning.

About 100 people lined the streets around 8:30 a.m. to greet the president, who wore brown pants and a blue and white-checked shirt.

Obama worked his way through the group; shaking hands and giving some high fives to children perched on their parents' shoulders. 

"Welcome to the '50s," said one crowd member, drawing laughter from other bystanders in his reference to the picturesque small downtown.

"We love you, we're behind you," a woman called out.

Obama joked about his graying hair with some crowd members, telling them about an old campaign flyer someone had showed him on this tour of the Midwest. 

"I looked so young," he said. 

After a few minutes of greeting residents, Obama boarded a large black bus and the motorcade left to continue Tuesday's tour.

People lined the streets to watch the presidential motorcade leave town. Some people waved, some cheered, and one man gave a thumb's up. Just outside town, workers at a diner held up letters from the marquee spelling out, "Obama."

The president is headed to Peosta for a summit on rural economies and job creation, scheduled for later today.

Eileen Mozinski Schmidt

Reporter

Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Crowds waited for a glimpse of the president

Vehicles lined up in back of the Hotel Winneshiek