While he didn't mention him by name, President Obama, used his speech in front of the National Governor's Association to respond to former Sen. Rick Santorum's assertion that the President is a "snob" for encouraging all students to attend college.
"When I speak about higher education we're not just talking about a four-year degree," the president said. "We're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained ... for that manufacturing job that now is requiring somebody walking through the door handling a million-dollar piece of equipment."
He continued, "They can't go in there unless they've got some basic training beyond what they received in high school."
This past weekend, Santorum derided the president for his college-affordability initiatives. "Obama says he wants everyone to go to college, what a snob," the Republican presidential candidate boasted.
Obama also encouraged the governors to "invest more in education," using almost all of his speech to push the idea that a more successful American education system will lead to a better economic situation in the long run.
Today's remarks in the State Dining Room were in front of the nation's governors as part of the National Governors Association's winter meeting. All of the governors were invited, but the White House is not releasing the formal list of attendees. Spotted at one GOP power player table: Govs. Susana Martinez (R-NM), Chris Christie (R-NJ), Jan Brewer (R-AZ), Bobby Jindal (R-LA), and Nikki Haley (R-SC) sitting and chatting.
