SOUTH PORTLAND — Throngs of New Englanders descended upon the Southern Maine Community College campus in South Portland on Friday to witness a campaign stump speech by President Barack Obama.

Touting what he believed were the highlights of his administration’s accomplishments, Obama’s speech covered a wide array of topics, ranging from the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to the merits of the controversial health care law, which has been making headlines this week as the Supreme Court considers its constitutionality.

But with a large part of the crowd comprised of college students ”“ those who attend SMCC were admitted to the Hutchinson Union Building Athletic Center at a discounted price ”“ Obama took time to address tuition costs and job creation, citing out-of-control interest rates on student loans as being prohibitive to the increasing need for post-secondary education.

“Higher education in this country can’t be a luxury,” said Obama. “It is an economic imperative.”

Arguing that an educated workforce is needed to stay competitive in a global economy, the President made the case for an increased emphasis on scientific research and technological innovation, particularly in green energy technology. Those, he said, combined with a reinvigorated manufacturing base, will be the cornerstones of a revitalized American economy in the years to come.

“I want us to be known for making and building and inventing,” said Obama. “That’s the kind of America I want to get back to.”

The President’s comments on education and job training were foreshadowed by Richard Schwartz of Woolwich, who was chosen to make Obama’s introduction.

Schwartz, who has a background in engineering and moved to Maine in 2002 to pursue work in the boatbuilding industry, recently went back to work at an aircraft manufacturing facility in Brunswick after being unemployed for two years. He obtained that employment after visiting the Bath Career Center and working with a case manager from Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc., to help him complete his certification in Information Technology.

“I’m not telling you this story because it’s unique,” said Schwartz. “I’m telling it because I share it with so many. There are millions of Americans who are still embarking on this odyssey, and something needs to be done.”

Earlier in the program, cheers greeted former Sen. George Mitchell, who argued that the country’s greatness lies in its principles, not on military or economic might.

“The ultimate source of (the President’s) strength and his power are with the American people,” said Mitchell. “We, the American people, must never forget that this was a great nation long before it was a great military or economic power. This was a great country upon its founding.

“Barack Obama is imperfect as a human being,” he said. “He’s made mistakes. We all do. But in his life, he has lived up to these principles.”

Mitchell’s admission of Obama’s fallibility proved one of the few moments in which the administration was held under a critical lens. Absent, even from the streets that spiderweb the oceanfront campus, were protesters or demonstrators of conservative bent. On Broadway, one man was seen holding a sign that read “Worse Than Bush.”

With no opposition in sight, Obama took the opportunity to criticize Republicans, in particular condemning their propensity for tax cuts for wealthy Americans, which he argued are slowing the economic recovery.

“Republicans want people to pick themselves up by their boot-straps, even if they don’t have any boots,” said Obama. “They are wrong in their view of America. We are greater together than we are on our own.”

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 319, or at jlagasse@journaltribune.com.

This story has been updated from its original version to correct an error.