Politics on the Hudson

President Barack Obama visited an Albany-area community college this morning to discuss the economy and promote hi-tech investments as a way to boost business growth in the country.

You can watch the video here.

The president, in his first trip to upstate New York since he was elected, outlined his innovation strategy, which uses more than $100 million in federal stimulus funds to support education and new infrastructure. The stage at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, Rensselaer County, where the president spoke has a backdrop of computer chips and other hi-tech equipment behind the podium.

Obama talked about how in Troy and upstate New York, the area has long suffered from a decline in manufacturing jobs and loss of young people because of a lack of jobs. He offered hope that the region can turn around, citing the Erie Canal and Thomas Edison, who started General Electric in nearby Schenectady.

“We know that upstate New York can succeed,” he said. “We know that in a global economy – where there is no room for error and there is certainly no room for wasted potential – America needs you to succeed.”

He continued, ”As we emerge from this current economic crisis, our great challenge will be to ensure that we do not simply drift into the future, accepting less for our children and less for America. We have to choose to do what past generations have done: shape a brighter future through hard work and innovation.”