White House Liveblogs Obama Town Hall

Perhaps after bending to criticism about the administration’s openness and as a return to its dominance of new media, the White House liveblogged President Obama’s Tuesday afternoon town hall meeting in Ft. Myers, Fl.

Speaking about the stimulus package and the economy in general, Obama spoke and took questions from the audience. Ft. Myers has a double-digit unemployment rate, which has tripled in just two years.

The liveblog posted Obama’s remarks as he delivered them, followed by a full document of the speech as prepared. With each question came another post, along with a shortened version of his answer.While he was answering questions, Obama paused the meeting to say the Senate had passed his stimulus package.

The crowd erupted in applause, and the blogger remarks: “There was much rejoicing.”

Obama was introduced by Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican who campaigned for John McCain during the 2008 campaign.

–Samuel Rubenfeld