[Savidge:] President Obama is in Ohio today talking about innovation and jobs and he's hammering home key points from his State of the Union address. Today he's focusing on small business. But the trip comes while many are watching another fight over jobs. And we are talking about, of course, the union protests in Ohio and Wisconsin. CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us every day at this time for our "Stakeout." And, Ed, what's the president's message today?
[Ed Henry, Cnn Senior White House Correspondent:] Well, it has nothing to do with the protests, and that's what's interesting is that he's steering clear, talking about protests. And as you know, they're not just happening in Wisconsin. Also now happening in the very state where the president is as we speak, in Ohio. He's in Cleveland. The protests are in Columbus. About an hour or so away. But, nonetheless, the White House is fully aware that that's going on because the Republican governor in Ohio, just as the Republican governor in Wisconsin, has been sort of going after collective bargaining rights for some of these government employees. But the White House wants to steer clear of that. Let that play out on the local level. They're very sensitive to this being seen as a sort of White House interference story. They don't want it to look like they're joining up with the labor unions and others that have been helping to stir up some of the protests. They want to keep an arm's length and try to keep, and I stress try to keep the message the president on message about jobs and the economy and not get mired in some of the politics of what else is going on. Martin.
[Savidge:] It could be tough for him to do. But does the president have other job stops, so to speak, planned?
[Henry:] Oh, they're they pretty much are doing one a week. And that's what's been interesting since the State of the Union and the new chief of staff, Bill Daley, something with his fingerprints on it, making sure that the president is not just here in Washington, which is a pretty toxic, political environment, but getting out there in the heartland. Helps him in the short term try to sell this economic message. Today, as we noted, in Cleveland, he's focusing on small businesses. They create two out of every three new jobs. So he wants to try to reach out to these small businesses and say, I hear you coming out of those November midterm elections where there was a message that maybe the administration was not listening enough. He wants to get out there and make sure that he is listening. But let's not forget, it's not just about the short term. It's about the long term and that 2012 election that is getting closer and closer. It's not really that far away. Ohio, a critical battleground state. He's been in Michigan. He's been in Pennsylvania lately. All of these states are going to be critical states he wants in 2012. It's no accident that a lot of these so-called winning the future events on policy, on substance, also played pretty well for him politically, Martin.
[Savidge:] These are also states, of course, that are facing the challenges of many of these kind of protests that are either there or likely to happen in those states.
[Henry:] Big time, yes.
[Savidge:] So at some point is it possible that the president will have to speak? And if he does, what is the line he walks? I mean he obviously has talked about cutting deficits, but then he was also supported by many of these labor organizations.
[Henry:] You're right. You know, and he walked that exact line the only time he's commented on these protests. Last week he did an interview with a local TV station in Wisconsin. Most people picked up one part of that interview, which was the president saying he believes that what's going on in Wisconsin is an assault on unions. And that got the unions happy and angered a lot of Republicans. But a lot of people missed the other part of the interview where the president said something else important, which is where he said, look. I do understand, however, that people in the local level have some tough choices to make with these budgets. It was not like he was supporting the Republican governor in this case but he was saying I can sympathize with him because the president noted he, himself, has been trying to institute this federal pay freeze for federal employees. That's obviously a state, local issue. But federal employees saying, look, I've got to make tough choices. Some of these governors have to make tough choices. So that's how he's going to walk that line. He's certainly you're right he's going to stand up for those unions that supported him in 2008, will be critical in 2012. But the president has also got to be honest about the fact that we've got a budget deficit right now. He's in the middle of that debate here in Washington. And some of these governors on a local level, they don't have easy choices. And that's why we're seeing some of these protests pop up. There's a lot of controversy surrounding it, but there's also some tough issues that they're grappling with and they're trying to face, Martin.
[Savidge:] And the days of easy choices are long gone.
[Henry:] That's right.
[Savidge:] Ed Henry, thanks very much.
[Henry:] Good to see you, Martin. Did an NFL player take his own life with a greater purpose in mind? His son is now speaking out about his father's last wishes.