10:47 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – Moments before Obama appeared, the crowd began chanting "Who do we want?" and "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!" – sort of like the Rolling Stones were about to come out or something.

I asked a White House press aide if this happens everywhere they go. He replied: "Yeah, it's pretty cool isn't it?"

For the first few minutes as the president was trying to speak, he could hardly get a word in edgewise as the crowd kept cheering. After things settled down a bit, he outlined a multi-pronged plan to help struggling homeowners. He said his plan would help stem the tide of foreclosures across the country – he said more than 6 million homes are facing foreclosure, 150,000 of which are in Arizona.

He said his plan is targeted toward homeowners who were lured into bad loans, those who are upside-down in their mortgages and are unable to refinance, and lenders who agree to modify existing home loans at better rates.

The president also outlined who the plan would not help: unscrupulous mortgage brokers, big banks that preyed on unsuspecting clients and individuals who invested in multiple properties in an effort to make a profit.

He did not say how much the plan would cost, but he did say some losses would be mitigated by lowering the rates of foreclosures and defaulted loans. Some aspects of his plan will take effect two weeks from now, including a provision that requires all mortgage lenders to use a specific set of guidelines when determining which homeowners qualify for refinancing.

The announcement in Mesa came one day after the president signed the $787 billion economic stimulus legislation in Denver. It was Obama's first appearance in Arizona since the election.

9:43 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is indeed here to see Obama (an earlier post noted she was nowhere to be found). The representative mentioned a moment ago she had been outside doing official things for much of the morning. She pointed that she does have a front-and-center seat. As it turns out, Sinema was heavily involved in lining up seats for the other Democratic lawmakers.  

We should have known she was here somewhere.

9:38 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – Pretty much every Democrat in the state Legislature is seated here waiting for Obama to speak, even Attorney General Terry Goddard is present. The legislators had to skip committee hearings and other legislative business to be here.

According to a rumor going around the press stable, Democratic lawmakers were heard saying, "They don't listen to us anyway, what difference does it make where we are?"

9:28 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – Gov. Jan Brewer said she is hopeful that President Obama's housing plan will help Arizonans who are struggling with their mortgages, as well as the state's failing housing industry."I'm hoping that we see some solutions to help those people that are in desperate need of help. I hope that the plan works and that it helps the economy in the state of Arizona," she said.

In regards to the $790 billion stimulus package Obama signed on Feb. 17, Brewer said she will have to look at how much federal money is coming to Arizona and whether it is encumbered. She referred to the stimulus dollars as a "one-time shot in the arm."

""I'm open to receiving those dollars and using those dollars if we are able to use the dollars across the board for different projects," she said. "We all do know that the stimulus package will not help Arizona in regards to the general fund dollars. That is a strong belief amongst everybody."

9:19 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA  – Rep. Steve Farley said he is encouraged that Obama is in Arizona to unveil his housing plan, and takes it as an encouraging sign that he recognizes the severity of the housing crisis here.

"If the fact that he's saying it here means a lot of it will be directed at Arizona, that would be great," Farley said.

Farley hoped the president's visit would serve as a wake-up call for his colleagues in the Legislature as they tackle Arizona's massive budget deficit. Property values continue to drop in the state while people are losing their jobs, including those who are being laid off by the state government, Farley said.

"I hope he's going to say he's going to come back a lot because we'd sure like him as a shot in the arm for those of us who want to do reasonable things for the people Arizona," said Farley, who hoped to hear Obama talk about what he will do to help middle-class families. "It's been hard, I think, for people to see how the bank bailouts are helping people, but I think he's going to reveal today that there will be things that we can do that really make a difference."

Farley also hoped Obama would say something urging legislative Republicans to take whatever stimulus money is available to Arizona.

"If we don't take it, all the money's going to go to other places," he said.

8:55 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – Governor Brewer says she hasn't had a chance to look over the details of the federal stimulus package and couldn't comment specifically on whether it would effectively solve Arizona's financial problems.

At a press conference yesterday, Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl both said the stimulus package was insufficient and would not create the kind of job growth that is necessary.

Grijalva is next up, he's giving an interview right now; also comments from Farley are on the way.  

8:37 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell just arrived as well as U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva. And right now seems like the perfect chance for members of the public to meet Gov. Jan Brewer, as dozens of people are lining up to take photos with her.

Apparently, Brewer just gave a statement to the press outside. But pretty much the entire Capitol press corps was inside the building already, so the Arizona Capitol Times reporters, Yellow Sheet reporter and Howie Fischer have been harassing her Chief of Staff Kevin Tyne to try to score an interview with her.

Oh wait! It looks like Gov. Brewer is coming over to give a statement.

More to come shortly.

8:23 A.M. DOBSON HIGH GYM, MESA – The media and the crowd gathered outside have been granted access to the gym. The crowd inside is a mix of high school students, parents, media and dignitaries.

So far I've spotted Arizona Reps. Steve Farley, David Lujan (looks like he has a front row seat) and David Schapira. No sign of Sinema, but I'm sure she'll be here at some point. Democratic strategist David Waid and several Arizona Democratic Party officers are present as well.

Governor Brewer just walked in and is making the rounds.

8:10 A.M. DOBSON HIGH, MESA – It's a really small venue. The last time I saw President Obama speak, it was in front of 75,000 people at Invesco Field in Denver. The small auditorium at Dobson High School where Obama will speak is a much homier affair than the Democratic National Convention.

There have been no large-scale protests. The small crowd outside, which started gathering at about 6 p.m. last night, hasn't seen any disturbances, according to the people who have been standing in line the longest.

As the sun rose, drivers along Guadalupe Road waved and honked at the 500 or so people huddled in sleeping bags and surrounded by camping gear, some watching portable DVD players.

The media has been here for three hours at this point, sleeping in their cars, smoking cigarettes and trying to figure out ways to sneak past security to use the bathroom.

The media check-in was at 5:30 a.m., which meant there
have not been any coffee and donuts for the past two-and-a-half hours, as all rations have been squandered. It also means there is nothing to do but wait.

This is no ordinary school day. Teachers and students have been filtering through tight security and walking past throngs of people. Portable metal detectors have been set up at all entrances for added safety.

There is room for several hundred people (maybe 1,000) in the auditorium. The bleachers offer space for perhaps 200 students, educators and the public. Dozens of rows of white chairs on the floor are for the hardcores who camped out for tickets to the event and dignitaries such as state lawmakers and the governor's staff.

Members of the media are quarantined behind a barricade of sorts, allowed to mill about amongst themselves and chatter idly. Normally we're very witty when you see us in a group like this, but it's way too early for that.