Obama Attempts To Bridge Support For Jobs Package

With the “functionally obsolete” Brent Spence Bridge at his back, President Obama challenged Republican leaders in Congress to approve his jobs bill that includes over $100 billion for new infrastructure projects and repairs.

Obama admitted that one of the reasons he chose the bridge — which connects Ohio to Kentucky — as his backdrop for today’s pitch, is because of its geographical ties to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

“[They] are the two most powerful Republicans in government,” he said. “They can either kill this jobs bill, or they can help us pass it.”

Though the president’s $447 billion plan covers a number of areas — including tax cuts and credits, broadband investment and mortgage refinancing for homeowners — it’s the funding reserved for infrastructure projects he focused on today. Obama urged lawmakers to quit squabbling over the need to reign in spending, and approve $50 billion worth of transportation funding included in the bill.

“If you want construction workers rebuilding bridges like this one,” he said, “pass this jobs bill.”

Ohio, in particular, would stand to receive just over $1 billion for highway and transportation projects. The White House says the money would create nearly 14,000 jobs in the Buckeye State, which is plagued by a 9 percent unemployment rate.

Obama argued that aside from the bridge behind him, there are numerous other area transit routes in need of repair.

“I can’t imagine that the Speaker wants to represent a state where nearly one in four bridges is classified as substandard,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Boehner thanked the president for bringing attention to the Brent Spence Bridge, which lies in a district that neighbors the one he represents.

“I know how important the Brent Spence Bridge is to our region,” he said. “I’ve long supported replacing the bridge, and I’m pleased the president is bringing attention to this much-needed project.”

However, Boehner complained that the president’s plan does not put enough emphasis on undoing regulations, which he said are hurting businesses in his state. Boehner also decried Obama’s plan to pay for the bill in part by raising taxes on those earning more than $250,000 per year.

“His plan, in my opinion, will destroy jobs by raising taxes on small businesses and our capital, the key ingredient, I think for job creation in our country.”

Yet, Obama stood by his pay-for proposal, arguing that it appropriately prioritizes a struggling middle class in need of help.

“The Republicans in Congress,” he said, “call this class warfare. Well you know what? If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as plumber or teacher makes me a warrior for the middle class, I’ll wear that charge as a badge of honor.”

White House Press Gaggle

By Press Secretary Jay Carney

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Cleveland, Ohio

MR. CARNEY:  Good morning, everybody. 

     Q    Good morning.

     MR. CARNEY:  You guys ready?  I just want — before I take your questions, I wanted to remind everybody why we’re here, for the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business.  As you know, in addition to the President of the United States, we have Cabinet members attending the event, and that includes the Treasury Secretary, Commerce Secretary, Labor Secretary, Energy Secretary, the SBA Administrator, the CEA Chair, and Gene Sperling, the National Economic Director.

     As you know, the President talked about the need for innovation and for businesses in particular and small businesses to be the engine of growth in our economy.  And he wants to hear from small business owners in this forum about what drives success and what barriers lie in the way of success.

     Cleveland is actually a city that’s done a great deal of positive work in positioning itself in both the field of biotechnology and clean energy.  It’s really poised to be a global leader in the 21st century in these new industries, and the President is obviously very excited about that.

     So from here on there will be other events similar to this that Cabinet secretaries will participate in.  This is not just a one-time deal.  It was a major theme of the President’s State of the Union address and will continue to be.

     So, with that, I will take your questions.

     Q    On Libya, can you tell us what is going on behind the scenes at the White House?  And also, is there concern that unlike in Egypt, there is nothing that you can really do, there’s no real ties with Libya and there’s very little the administration can do in that situation?

     MR. CARNEY:  Well, first let me point you to the fact that on Friday, while we were on this plane, the President issued a statement condemning the violence in Libya, the use of violence against peaceful protesters in Libya as well as two other countries.  Yesterday, the Secretary of State issued a very strongly worded statement condemning the violence and expressing our great alarm at the violence used against peaceful protesters.  We offer our condolences to the families of the victims in Libya of this appalling violence.  And the Secretary of State will speak again today at approximately 2:30 p.m. where she will address some of these issues.

     Q    Will the President speak about this today?

     MR. CARNEY:  I don’t anticipate that, but we’ll see.

     Q    Do you have a — can you give us anything on the death of the hostages at the hands of the pirates?

     MR. CARNEY:  Well, for details about what happened I’d refer you to the Pentagon.  What I can tell you is that the President was notified this morning at 4:42 a.m. by Homeland Security director — or advisor, rather, John Brennan about the outcome in which the four American citizens’ lives were lost, the tragic outcome of that event.

     The President did, over the weekend on Saturday, authorize the use of force in the case of imminent — of an imminent threat to those hostages, and that’s — for other details I can refer you to the Defense Department.

     Q    Are there, do you think, measures that — the Security Council is meeting today on Libya — are there international measures that the U.S. can take with its partners to try and affect what’s going on inside Libya, or is it a question of lacking substantial leverage?

     MR. CARNEY:  There is activity at the United Nations Security Council today.  We are participating in meetings.  We look forward to working with the international community so that the international community speaks with one voice in condemning the violence.  And we feel like when the international community speaks with one voice, it can be most effective, so we are obviously participating fully in that.

     Q    Is the White House having any conversations with other world leaders about — the President himself having any conversations with world leaders about Libya?

     MR. CARNEY:  I have no announcements on presidential conversations right now.

     Q    Oil is at a two-year high.  How closely is the President monitoring the situation in Libya?

     MR. CARNEY:  Well, as you know, when there is unrest in the world and specifically in that region, that can affect oil prices.  We are closely monitoring that situation, but I would not speculate on where oil prices would go in the future.

     Q    Do you think the events of the last few days have shown perhaps that the attempts to kind of rehabilitate Qaddafi — particularly the Europeans sort of took part in it the last administration as well — were a mistake?

     MR. CARNEY:  What I’ll say, Steve, is that the future of Libya needs to be decided by the Libyan people.  As is the case throughout the region, our policy is — pertains in Libya or towards Libya as it did — does to Egypt, to Bahrain and other countries, which is that we call very strongly for an end to the use of violence against peaceful protesters.  We call for respect for the universal rights that these — peoples of this region, as peoples all around the world, have:  the right to peaceful assembly, to freedom of expression.  And we recognize their legitimate aspirations.

     We call on the governments of the region to listen to and respect the legitimate aspirations of their people and to reform accordingly.

     Q    Jay, there’s going to be a labor rally in Columbus about the time that the President is here.  There’s of course the unrest in Wisconsin.  You’re also seeing it in Ohio and Indiana, and there’s going to be a large protest of teachers in early March over labor rules proposed by that legislature.  Is the President going to address any of that today?  And does he have any thoughts on this ongoing situation?

     MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have anything for you on what the President will say today.  He’s focused very much — with regard to that, he’s focused very much on this important forum, small business forum. 

And as far as his thoughts, he expressed them in an interview with a Wisconsin television station — I believe it was last week — where he made clear that he absolutely recognizes the need that state governments have, governors and legislators, to deal with their fiscal situation; that everyone needs to tighten their belts, and that includes public sector employees.  But he also expressed his concern that the efforts specifically in Wisconsin were aimed at going right after the collective bargaining rights of unions.

So — but that’s the extent of the White House involvement.

Q    What about Kasich’s efforts in Ohio to go after collective bargaining?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have anything on that for you.

Q    What’s his reaction to the House vote at 4:40 a.m. in the morning, Saturday morning?

MR. CARNEY:  Look, we continue to believe that we will be able to work out common ground on these issues.  I would point you to the fact that all four leaders of Congress, leaders of the House, leaders of the Senate, have expressed their confidence that we can work this out before March 4th, and we believe we can.

Q    Does the administration stand by a veto threat if the House-passed package gets to the President’s desk with those big cuts?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, the White House’s position, the President’s position was clearly stated in that statement of administration policy.  That hasn’t changed.

Q    Any contingency plans yet?  Are you still working on any plans for a shutdown?

MR. CARNEY:  I would refer you to the Office of Management and Budget, which is the agency within the executive branch that needs to deal with these sorts of things.  And I’d simply state that there have been contingency plans for government shutdowns since 1980, and those plans are obviously updated accordingly, but they’ve been around for a long time.

Q    You said 1980?

MR. CARNEY:  1980 is what I understand, but I’d refer you to Ken Baer at OMB.

Q    How confident are you that a shutdown can be avoided?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, as I said, we believe, as do the leaders of the House and the Senate, including Senator McConnell and Speaker Boehner — we agree with them that we do not want a shutdown of the government and that we can come to an agreement that avoids that.

Q    Any comment on the Iranian warships going through the Suez Canal today?

MR. CARNEY:  Nothing new beyond what I said Friday, I think it was, which was that we monitor that situation closely.  And obviously Iranian behavior in the region is something we always watch.

Anything else before we land, which looks to be in about —

Q    Any minute.

MR. CARNEY:  — two minutes to three minutes?  I don’t want anyone to get hurt. 

Q    Thanks, Jay.

MR. CARNEY:  Are you good?  Thanks a lot.

                      END             10:49 A.M. EST



Obama Holds Mini-Town Hall In Ohio Family’s Backyard

President Barack Obama continued his campaign-style swing through the country on Wednesday, taking questions from voters in Columbus, Ohio.

Before engaging a crowd of about 30 which had gathered in the backyard of Joe and Rhonda Weithman, the President made a few remarks about the economy. The message was clear: though millions of Americans remain out of work, the administration  has taken steps to put the country on the road to recovery.

“We had to act fast to prevent what could have been a Great Depression, and we were successful in doing so,” said Obama. “We stabilized the economy, we stabilized the financial system [and] we didn’t have a complete meltdown.”

Obama met with the Weithmans in their kitchen for about 15 minutes prior to his backyard remarks. According to the White House, the family benefitted directly from President’s Recovery Act, with Joe - a small business owner - able to retain two of his employees, and Rhonda able to keep her health insurance despite losing her job last year.

During the nearly 45 minute question and answer session that followed, participants focused mainly on pocketbook issues, such as jobs, social security, healthcare and educational costs.

The President said new infrastructure spending included in the stimulus law, and reforms to the student loan industry included in the healthcare reform law passed earlier this year will hopefully create jobs for those living in the ‘Rust Belt,’ and will ease the process by which college students apply for and pay off loans.

Obama also addressed concerns over the nation’s growing deficit, which is expected to run near $1.47 trillion next year.

“People, consumers, are not going to start spending until they feel a little more confident that the economy’s getting stronger,” he said. The President added that he wants to ensure that measures to lower the deficit do not interfere with economic recovery.

A number of Democrats running for re-election were in attendance today, including Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D), who faces a stiff challenge from his opponent, former state Representative John Kasich (R), in his bid for re-election this November. Democratic Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, who is running for U.S. Senate, as well as U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D), who is fighting to keep her seat, were also present.

U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D) did not attend.

Following the stop in Columbus, the President was expected to make remarks at an afternoon fundraising event for Strickland before flying to Miami to help raise money for Florida Democrats tonight.

A Vision For Ohio And America

Yesterday was Father's Day. I lost my father when I was 10. He was an immigrant, and the United States allowed him to do well, earn an Army-Navy Production Award for the production of gun triggers during World War II and provide well for his family. He was a model of charity and giving and was passionate about his newly adopted country and state, Ohio. His passion was passed on to us, his children.

We would ride to his office through small towns and on weekends take rides throughout small-town Ohio. It was post war, and Ohio was the heart of manufacturing and post war industry. There were homemade candy shops, mom and pop restaurants, gift shops, small department stores and everything you needed to have a great family life in each town. My father would stop, and we would talk to the shop owners. They were always nice. They were always proud.

On Saturday, I attended a wedding in Newark, Ohio, which is similar to the town I visited with my father in the 1950s. Newark is near Columbus and has become a bedroom location for people working in Columbus. It is doing a lot better than most small Ohio towns, but it is still a depressing place to visit. I went to the local beauty shop to get my hair done. The wash and blow dry was $15, nothing by New York or D.C. standards. While I was walking though the town, an older gentleman stopped me and asked me what I was doing walking in town on a Saturday afternoon. We talked about what Newark was post war and what a vibrant community it once was. He told me there were four hotels at one point, several clothing stores and a department store. Now as I walked around I saw no clothing stores, empty restaurants and a sign in front of one store saying "40 percent off: We need the cash flow." This is one of the most successful small towns. Others don't even have this level of commerce.

In the summer of 2008, I wrote an article titled "Is America, Cleveland?" describing my walk though my hometown and predicting what might happen. This was two months before the September market free-fall. I talked about the need for developing more infrastructures, especially broadband. There is still a need for that, but I wondered how to revive an economy and a town that remains beautiful but empty.

Lee Fisher, who I have known since childhood, is the lieutenant governor. He is now running for Senate. Lee has been a one-man business recruiter for Ohio, and he has done a great job. Lee is all about bringing new jobs for Ohio, and he is passionate about that. We grew up under Sputnik, when the school turned on a dime and we all learned the new math. Science was suddenly taught with gusto in the lower elementary grades. It worked, and America was able to remain competitive in the '60s and '70s. Now it is a different story. We need to do something different that includes new jobs but also a way to make the youngest children more competitive.

As I looked at Newark's town square, I thought of our greatest competition: China. The Chinese know how to use their public spaces. Early in the morning there are hundreds of people doing exercise, together in a group. Looking at the town square, I also thought of the major form of entertainment in the days before radio, television and the record player. Back then, lectures were held in the town square and people attended them to learn about the world and be entertained. Why, I thought on my walk around on Saturday, don't we do the same thing in Ohio? Why not do what my fifth grade teacher did when we were terrified of the Russians and their scientific advantage? Why not hold competitions and incentives to get our youngsters moving?

What if we took some of that stimulus money along with some corporate partnerships and have math, science and computer competitions during the summer evening and weekends in the town centers?

What if we taught advanced basics and gave out prizes and gift cards to the students who excelled and smaller incentives to the students who showed up? What if the grade school students learned the basics of programming? What if the big tent on the town green would attract students and families to learn and have fun, too?

Would it bring jobs in the great state of Ohio? No, not right now. But it would take kids away from television and hours playing computer games and move them to be the kind of whizzes we are going to need to compete. It will do what America did during Sputnik. The future Lee Fishers wouldn't have to be working day and night to try and find jobs for his fellow citizens, and Ohio would again be the center of knowledge and innovation and the future. So would America.

Stimulus Has Been A Bust, Says Ohio Republican

By Miles Wolf Tamboli
Talk Radio News Service

Hours before President Barack Obama spoke in Columbus, Ohio about the benefits his stimulus bill has provided to the job-crippled state, Ohio State Auditor and candidate for Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor (R) told reporters that the bill has "failed."

The controversial American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly referred to as the stimulus bill, aimed to enhance job creation and spur spending through an investment of $862 billion dollars into the U.S. economy.

While a growing number of economists are coming out in support of the stimulus and its effects, a large amount of funding went into sources which can't be easily quantified - a point Taylor was quick to address on Friday.

"The only jobs created by the stimulus package and government spending are government jobs."

Taylor clarified her statement, explaining that, "half of the $3.3 billion dollars Ohio has received so far has gone to run Medicaid, not invest in job creation."

At 10.7%, Taylor's state has the tenth highest unemployment rate in the nation, a figure that can be partially attributed to the struggling auto market, as well as the relocating of a number of local steel jobs to countries oversees.

Overall, the gubernatorial candidate was critical, yet constructive in her judgment of the stimulus bill.

"When the federal stimulus bill was enacted in February 2009, our unemployment rate was 9.4%; today it's 10.7%. I would guess that if you asked the 641,000 Ohioans who are out of work, 'has the stimulus worked?' I think they would agree that it has not."

"What we really need to do is allow our small businesses to invest here in Ohio and create jobs and create an economic environment where they can do that," Taylor added. "The only long term solution is creating a pro-growth business climate by reducing government spending."