President Obama to start an event in the office up on Wednesday with an anecdote.
"I hate to tell the story of Mark," Obama said, referring to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who became moderator of the event.
As the two old friends of former Harvard students, Obama then recounted a dinner party he attended in February along with the 26-year computer whiz and about a dozen other technology industry elite. There, Zuckerberg was sitting right in the right president.
"I am a person who forced Mark to wear suits and ties," Obama said, referring to Zuckerberg, who left the custom T-shirt that day. "In the middle of dinner, he began to sweat. It's really uncomfortable for him. I helped remove his jacket."
"In fact, if you want Mark, we can release the jacket (this time)."
Then, as he often did Obama when less formal speech, the president said on Wednesday it took off his coat. Zuckerberg started to follow and shirt and black tie in sight. (In fact, he's wearing sneakers.)
"Yeah, you are much better than me," Zuckerberg joked.
Expense for an hour that goes very friendly it seems to melt the wonders of technology that is sometimes cold. Zuckerberg himself sheepishly when giving his speech. "Sorry, I was a little nervous," he said.
For Obama, Wednesday is an opportunity to connect with Silicon Valley leaders and youth. As usual Obama also discuss some points such as the federal deficit, education, health and immigration.
Against the technorati, Obama promotes math and science education, highlighting the real-estate market acute in the area, and talk immigration reform. "We do not want them to start Intel in China, or start Intel in France We want them here," he said.
For young viewers of the employees up, he gives suggestions and invitations citing familiar to the changes.
For Facebook, the meeting was an opportunity to affirm itself in the eyes of Washington, where he was to boost lobbying efforts recently. It is important for companies that grow on the level and size like Facebook today.
Zuckerberg has proved himself to the 500 million people who use its services and the wealthy investors. Founder up it has a net worth of $ 13.5 billion, according to data from Forbes.
That fact gives the material expense for Obama, when discussing the presidential proposal to end tax cuts to the rich.
"People like me and you, Mark, (should) pay a little more for taxes," Obama said. "I know you're OK with that."
Although the president plans to take more money Zuckerberg, the young billionaire praised Obama's efforts in education reform.
"I think the campaign" Race to the Top "that you are doing is one of the least appreciated and most important that your government has done," Zuckerberg said to the president.
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg announced in September that he would donate $ 100 million to Newark, New Jersey public schools.
Up indicated that Wednesday's event is not in the context of the presidential nomination.White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also told reporters that the event was not meant to be a promotion up.
"This is not about supporting a particular company," said Carney. "It's about accepting an invitation to a forum to speak to the American people."
Facebook, however, offer a gift to Obama in the end, namely T-shirts with the logo on the front of the company's website, "in the case, for some reason, you want to dress like me," Zuckerberg said to Obama.
