OBAMA CHEERS ON NORTHERN IOWA IN NCAA

After losing his NCAA basketball tournament bracket pick, President Obama hopes the University of Northern Iowa will clinch victory during March Madness, "I want to congratulate all the Northern Iowa fans in this part of the state on their big win. And since you ruined my bracket I'm rooting for you now. I want you to just go ahead and take it. Go all the way."

The president had chosen Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky and Villanova for the Final Four with number one ranked Kansas prevailing over Kentucky. The president sympathizes with Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, former Governor of Kansas and a huge Jayhawks fan, who introduced him at a speech on health care in Iowa City, IA "I also feel your pain. In my bracket, I had Kansas winning the entire championship, so I'm a little bit bitter too."

Moments after his speech, a young girl handed Obama a Northern Iowa Panthers #5 Ali Farokhmanesh jersey. Farokhmanesh is a senior guard who delivered a three-pointer in the final 30 seconds of the game and thus blew away Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament last Saturday.

Northern Iowa plays Michigan State Friday in the Midwest semifinals.