Obama tells Congress, Europe to get in gear
In a news conference, President Obama capped a tough political week by blaming Congress (again) for failing to pass his jobs plan and urging Europe to address its financial crisis.
In a news conference, President Obama capped a tough political week by blaming Congress (again) for failing to pass his jobs plan and urging Europe to address its financial crisis.
Amid signs of growing US economic weakness, President Obama took to the White House briefing room Friday to call on Congress once again to pass jobs legislation and on European leaders to stabilize their finances and prevent a global downturn.
Mr. Obama expressed confidence that the US financial sector was prepared for a 鈥渞ange of contingencies鈥� related to the European debt crisis, but added that the threat of renewed recession in Europe could hurt the fragile US recovery.
鈥淚f there's less demand for our products in places like Paris or Madrid, it could mean less businesses 鈥� or less business for manufacturers in places like Pittsburgh or Milwaukee,鈥� Obama said in a hastily called press conference.
The president called Europe鈥檚 challenges 鈥渟olvable,鈥� by taking measures to strengthen the banking system and by carrying out longer-term structural reforms.
On the home front, Obama pointed toward the Republican-controlled Congress as another source of drag on the US economy. As he has done many times before, the president blamed Congress for failing to pass in full a jobs package he introduced last September, aimed at putting firefighters, teachers, construction workers, and others back to work.
鈥淚f Congress had passed it in full, we'd be on track to have a million more Americans working this year,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淭he unemployment rate would be lower. Our economy would be stronger.鈥�
He credited Congress with passing some parts of the bill, such as a cut in the payroll tax, but blamed Congress for leaving 鈥渕ost of the jobs plan just sitting there.鈥� He also spoke of the economic 鈥渉eadwinds鈥� that he faces 鈥� a term he has deployed so many times since taking office in early 2009 that the Republican National Committee mocked him for it in a web video released Friday morning.
Obama鈥檚 press conference, announced with just an hour鈥檚 notice, seemed aimed at seizing the political narrative at the end of a tough week. Last Friday, the unemployment report for May showed weaker-than-expected jobs growth, and an uptick of the jobless rate to 8.2 percent. In the ensuing week, the stock market did a roller coaster act.
On Tuesday, the failure of Wisconsin Democrats 鈥� and their allies in the labor movement 鈥� to unseat Republican Gov. Scott Walker in a controversial recall effort dealt another blow to Obama and his party.
And in a stickier situation for the president, former President Clinton erupted with a series of 鈥渙ff-message鈥� statements several times in the last week, contradicting key Obama campaign arguments on the economy, taxes, and presumed GOP nominee Mitt Romney's business record. Mr. Clinton apologized on Thursday, and is likely to remain a top surrogate for Obama, but after similar displays of rogue behavior by other top Democrats 鈥� note Newark Mayor Cory Booker and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell 鈥� Team Obama seemed a bit ragged by week鈥檚 end.
At the press conference, Obama was also asked about recent media leaks concerning his alleged supervision of a terrorist 鈥渒ill list鈥� and about cyberattacks on Iran鈥檚 suspected nuclear program. Republicans have accused the president鈥檚 allies of leaking the information to boost his national security credentials 鈥� now the strongest suit in his reelection bid 鈥� to strengthen his campaign.
Obama said that if any people who have leaked information can be rooted out, 鈥渢hey will suffer the consequences鈥� for what is a criminal act.
鈥淭he notion that my White House would purposefully release classified national security information is offensive,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's wrong, and you know, people, I think, need to have a better sense of how I approach this office and how the people around me here approach this office.鈥�
On balance, Obama spent the bulk of his press conference focused on Europe, and what European leaders can do to prevent their financial crisis 鈥� and problems with the eurozone 鈥� from turning into a global economic downturn.
鈥淚n the short term, they've got to stabilize ... their financial system, and part of that is taking clear action as soon as possible to inject capital into weak banks,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淛ust as important, leaders can lay out a framework and a vision for a stronger eurozone, including deeper collaboration on budgets and banking policy."