Obama, in NYC, reaffirms support for Japan

President Barack Obama has reaffirmed U.S. support for the people of Japan as they continue to recover from the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the island nation.

The pledge came Tuesday night as Obama spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan following a whirlwind day in New York.

According to a statement released by the White House, the president and prime minister reiterated the importance of close cooperation during Japan's ongoing nuclear emergency.

Obama telephoned Kan from Air Force One. The president's visit to New York included the dedication of the U.S. mission building to the United Nations, a visit to a science and engineering fair, interviews with network anchors, and two political appearances in Harlem.

Hundreds of people gathered to try to get a glimpse of him outside a restaurant where Democrats were holding a fundraiser. Among the people gathered at barricades on 125th Street and Lenox Avenue was Elizabeth Simmons.

The 29-year-old teacher said she was excited the president was visiting a restaurant in the neighborhood Tuesday. She said she was glad to see him supporting a community establishment.

Others talked about his tenure, saying he had lacked the time to deal with the problems facing urban communities like Harlem.

Thirty-year-old Malcolm Woods said, "He's only one man."

The Democratic National Committee was holding a fundraiser at the Red Rooster restaurant and The Studio Museum in Harlem about a block away.