Google CEO Campaigns With Obama, Says He's Not Interested In Cabinet Position
(CBS)
(LAKE WORTH, FLA.) - Google CEO Eric Schmidt joined Barack Obama on the campaign trail today, adding fuel to speculation in the blogosphere that he is aiming for a cabinet position.
When asked about his future goals, Schmidt said that he is busy running Google and is not interested in a government job.
“I’ll put an ‘N’ and an ‘O’ and circle around it, if that would be helpful,” Schmidt said at an economic forum organized by the Obama campaign.
Although Schmidt is a longtime Democrat, today was his official debut on the campaign trail. He and several battleground state governors appeared at the forum, labeled a “jobs summit” by the campaign, at Palm Beach Community College, where they engaged in a 95-minute discussion on the economy with Obama.
After the event, Schmidt told reporters that he believes Obama is the best choice for president but he did not offer a ringing endorsement.
“He’s the best choice and nobody’s perfect,” Schmidt said, “But I think if you look at my personal support for him is basically a statement that its time for a change.”
When asked what Obama’s imperfections may be, he simply replied, “I’d rather not say, this is his show, not mine.”
Schmidt also expressed his support for Obama’s plan to raise taxes on those making more than $250,000, explaining that the vast amount of income in the country comes from the middle class.
“If you want to basically solve the various problems, you have to get that group employed, paying taxes, and so forth. The other groups don’t matter statistically,” he said.
Schmidt joins a number of current and former tech leaders who have become involved in presidential politics. McCain’s most prominent industry supporters include former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and retired eBay CEO Meg Whitman.
