Twofer in Ohio: Obama, Biden Boost Candidates, Health Care in Swing State

Is Ohio still important politically? Important enough that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden both visited the Buckeye State on Monday.

Biden, who did double duty with stops in Cincinnati and Cleveland, even joked about it.

"We don't think Ohio is important," he said at a Cleveland fundraiser for Gov. Ted Strickland, ". . . that's why the president and I are both here today. It must either be the weather or the Browns." Earlier, Biden was in the southwestern part of the state, helping freshman Rep. Steve Dreihaus raise money in Cincinnati for a tough reelection campaign against former Rep. Steve Chabot.

Obama chose Strongsville, a middle-class Cleveland suburb, for a speech promoting health care reform as the bill approaches a likely vote in the U.S. House later this week. The president, a basketball fan, opened by congratulating the Ohio State University Buckeyes on "winning the Big Ten championship. I'm filling out my [NCAA Tournament] brackets now." The crowd answered, chanting, "O-H-I-O," an Ohio State cheer. Obama took the cue. "That kid [Evan] Turner looks pretty good. You guys are doing all right."

Obama and Biden, who carried Ohio in 2008, hope their party does "all right" in November in this swing state -- hard hit by the recession. Candidates like Strickland and Dreihaus are facing stiff challenges in a difficult political climate.