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Locals Puzzle Over Obama Stop In Minn. River Town

CANNON FALLS, Minn. (WCCO/AP) -- One question President Barack Obama left a mystery during his town hall Monday: Why Cannon Falls?

The tossup territory in Minnesota politics scored the opening stop on Obama's Midwestern bus tour, which is focused on promoting rural America and calming fears about the economy. One youngster at Obama's forum tried to pin him down on the reason for the visit.

Obama left her guessing by answering with a quip. "I had heard that Cannon Falls has some of the smartest, best-looking kids around. You have confirmed the rumor," the president said.

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Minnesotans talks about Obama visiting Cannon Falls:

"There are so many people have no idea where Cannon Falls is. You know, you tell them where you're from and they go 'Cannon Falls, where's that?' and now everyone is going to know. It's a great thing for the community. It's a way for the community to come together and people to come together and welcome the president." -- Amanda Carroll from Cannon Falls.

"I don't think we should balance the debt crisis on the backs of the middle class or the needy. I also said I think we need to give a voice to the voiceless, power to the powerless. The poor and the needy, they don't have special interests, they don't have lobbyists. I want to be a lobbyist for them. I support him 100 percent. I thought he gave it a great answer. I completely agreed with everything he said ... It was kind of an out of body experience (asking the president a question). It's something I've dreamed of my entire life and I just think that he did a fabulous job and I'm so lucky that he called on me." -- Will Morrison, Rochester -- young man who was able to ask President Obama a question

"It was a once in a lifetime experience ... He did a great job. He also pointed out some of the faults of the Democrats and I'm middle of the road but I liked that it wasn't all really against the Republicans. He was talking about bringing them together somewhere in the middle, and I really liked that." -- Woman from Farmington

"I think it is a way for our town to show how much we welcome this and we really value our community. We really hold it as a good place to be in, so it's a great place to be." -- Teri Ruud from Cannon Falls

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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