Obama: GOP belief 'wrong about America'

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- President Barack Obama accused his Republican presidential rivals Thursday of peddling a philosophy that is "wrong about America," seeking to rev up his supporters as he hauled in campaign cash in an important swing state.

Obama, appearing in a state he carried in 2008 and one he may need to win again to hold the White House, cast Republicans as protectors of the wealthy, telling supporters at a fundraiser that the GOP hopefuls seeking his job would leave everyone else to fend for themselves. His comments came after he had assailed Republicans earlier in the day for offering what he described as flawed and dishonest plans to lower gasoline prices.

"I'm here to tell them they are wrong about America," Obama said. "Because in America we understand -- yes, we're rugged individuals. Yes, we don't expect a handout. But we also understand we are greater together than we are on our own."

The president was headlining three campaign fundraisers in Florida on Thursday, a traditional political battleground that could be key to his re-election hopes. But he had more than the November election on his mind.

An avid basketball fan, the president also lamented missing last night's highly anticipated NBA matchup in South Florida between the Miami Heat and the Knicks with their emerging star, Jeremy Lin.

"I'm resentful I'm not going to the game tonight. I'm mad about that," Obama joked. "It's not right. It's not fair."

He still planned to indulge his NBA habit. After speaking at a second fundraiser in the Miami area, the president was headed to the Windermere, Fla., home of Dallas Mavericks guard Vince Carter for a $30,000-a-person fundraiser.

Obama also raised money at the Coral Gables home of developer Chris Korge, a top fundraiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. About 100 supporters paid at least $15,000 to attend the event in Korge's walled compound.

"We've got a good story to tell about the last three years, but I'm not done here," the president said. "I need five more years."

Earlier, Obama spoke to a campaign-like crowd at the University of Miami to defend his energy policy in the midst of spiking gasoline prices. He predicted his Republican rivals would offer nothing but more drilling and political promises of $2-a-gallon gas.

"That's not a plan, especially since we're already drilling," he said. "That's a bumper sticker."

His trip to Florida came as gasoline has reached the highest price at the pump ever for this time of year: an average of $3.58 per gallon. White House advisers see it as a cyclical occurrence but knew Obama had to address the topic, one of deep concern to consumers and growing fodder for the Republican presidential hopefuls.

Obama said gasoline prices were "like a tax straight out of their paychecks." He promoted an energy agenda of oil, gas, wind, solar, nuclear and biofuel energy. And he took aim at Republicans.

"You can bet that since it's an election year, they're already dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas. I'll save you the suspense: Step one is to drill, step two is to drill, and step three is to keep drilling. . . . We've heard the same thing for 30 years."