Obama rips Republicans, raises big bucks for Murray in 4-hour Seattle stop

President Obama flashed into Seattle on Tuesday in full campaign mode, encouraging voters to contrast his administration's 18-month record with the "snake oil being peddled" by Republicans.

Obama raised $1.3 million for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and the state Democratic Party in two fundraisers, one a boisterous rally, the other an intimate, $10,000-a-person dinner at a waterfront mansion.

The four-hour visit to Seattle — his first since early 2008 — was part of a five-state fundraising swing intended to rally the Democratic base for what is expected to be a bruising fall election season.

Air Force One touched down at Boeing Field just after 11 a.m., about 15 minutes early. Obama called Seattle one of his favorite cities as he was greeted by local Democratic dignitaries and posed for a picture with a baby.

The president's itinerary was tightly scripted, with no time for questions from the press. His only non-fundraising event was the first on his schedule: a business round-table to promote a small-business lending bill currently held up in Congress. After waving to a crowd of 300 or more outside, Obama ate a turkey sandwich and chatted with three business owners, including Joe Fugere of the Tutta Bella pizza chain.

"He asked, 'What keeps you up at night?' He really wanted to know," Fugere said.

Murray's campaign for a fourth term took precedence the rest of the day. Obama's approval ratings have dropped in Washington since he won the state by more than 520,000 votes in 2008, but his star power drew more than 1,400 to a standing-room-only fundraiser at the Westin Seattle Hotel. Tickets ranged from $500 to $10,000.

As the presidential motorcade raced across town, hundreds of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse. Traffic cameras flashed like paparazzi as the motorcade ran red lights at high speeds.

Outside the Westin, hundreds of protesters — many from the left end of the political spectrum — gathered to draw attention to a range of issues, from Afghanistan to immigration to federal spending and financial bailouts.

Inside, Gov. Chris Gregoire baited Murray's most prominent challenger, Republican Dino Rossi, a real-estate investor and former state senator who lost two races for governor to Gregoire.

"[Murray] can and will stand in the shoes of anyone in this room," Gregoire said. "And you know, I'll take a mom in tennis shoes over a Realtor in wingtips any day of the week."

Rossi's campaign called the criticism "a desperate partisan attack" that failed to explain why Murray hasn't created jobs in Washington. Rossi describe the attacks as "a double-edged sword."

"On the one hand she gets to raise money," Rossi said. "On the other hand, [Obama's] here — she's vulnerable," noting that Democrats earlier this year didn't expect to have to fight so hard to retain Murray's seat.

In his remarks, Obama called on the rhetoric that propelled his 2008 campaign before attacking Republicans.

"At the heart of this rebuilding effort are three simple words: made in America," the president said.

Nationally, the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent. On Tuesday, the state released new numbers pegging Washington's unemployment rate at 8.9 percent. An estimated 306,000 people are still unemployed and looking for work, state officials said.

Obama compared Republicans' fiscal plans to "snake oil," and compared the GOP to a reckless driver who had run the economy into a ditch. Obama said he and other Democrats like Murray pushed the car back onto the road while Republicans stood aside, "sipping a Slurpee," and then asked for the keys back.

As the crowd roared with laughter, Obama said, "When you want to move forward, you put your car in D. When you want to go backward, you put it in R. ... That's not a coincidence."

Minutes before Obama left the Westin, two loud booms were heard. The booms came from two F-15 fighters that broke the sound barrier as they raced to Seattle when a private plane entered the 10-mile restricted area set up around Boeing Field, according to Allen Kenitzer, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Moments after Obama left the stage at the Westin, the motorcade headed to a second fundraiser at the Lake Washington Boulevard mansion of RealNetworks founder Rob Glaser. The 60 guests, who paid $10,000 each, were personally greeted by Obama, then sipped white wine as the president, in shirt sleeves with Murray at his side, spoke on Glaser's patio facing the lake.

"This is the time when you want to be president," Obama said. "We are at one of these inflection points in our nation's history, when for decades we've put off tough challenges, when for decades we've not addressed problems that were structural."

He praised Murray for helping his administration get the landmark health-care and financial overhaul measures passed, and for her work securing a new GI bill that pledges educational support for returning veterans.

"When I think about Patty, I think about one of the generals who helped stave off a much worse crisis than we've known," Obama said.

Soon after, the presidential motorcade was racing along Highway 520 and I-5, prompting huge traffic backups. As the president got on Air Force One at Boeing Field, he saluted, then left for another fundraising stop in Ohio.

Staff reporters Maureen O'Hagan, Emily Heffter, Sonia Krishnan, Jill Kimball and Jim Brunner contributed to this report.

Jonathan Martin: 206-464-2605 or jmartin@seattletimes.com