City

Cheesecake! Flesh-pressing Obama, in Downtown Brooklyn, keeps his eye on the pie

Campaign swings with de Blasio through Junior's

October 27, 2013 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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In Brooklyn to visit an extraordinary Prospect Heights high school on Friday, President Barack Obama entered campaign mode, swinging through Downtown Brooklyn with Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio.

He ogled cheesecakes in the bakery display of Junior’s Restaurant, on Flatbush Aveue Extension at DeKalb Avenue, and walked through the landmark eatery, shaking hands, giving out hugs and posing for photos.

He bought two cheescakes to go — one plain and one topped with strawberries.

During his visit to the cutting-edge Pathways in Technology Early College High School, Obama lauded the school’s ascendant home borough, where he lived for a few months as a recent college graduate in 1984.

“When I was here Brooklyn was cool, but not this cool,” he said to cheers.

City and state elected officials attending Obama’s speech included Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who played a key role in creating the school, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, his party’s nominee for mayor.

Obama, who endorsed de Blasio last month, called de Blasio “my friend.”

De Blasio’s presence at the school ignited a small controversy because it was announced on his campaign schedule even though politicking at a school is illegal within 60 days of an election. The de Blasio camp insisted it was listed that way simply because of the interest generated by the high-profile event.

With the Associated Press