Biden: Economic confidence is returning

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday that he believes there are signs the public’s confidence is growing in the Obama administration’s ability to tackle the financial crisis.

Biden said that he and the president have no doubt that the country will overcome its economic problems. And he feels the recent uptick in the stock markets is a result of the “Obama factor.” He said people are starting to understand President Barack Obama has a plan.

Biden, who was in Little Rock, Ark., on Saturday night to help Sen. Blanche Lincoln kick off her re-election bid, said he believes the administration is on track to overcome the financial crisis.

“There is no doubt in our minds and there is no doubt in the president’s mind that in fact we will overcome this. We will climb out of this hole,” Biden told The Associated Press in an interview. “It just takes some real perseverance and you’ve got to have a guy as gutsy as the president who’s willing to make some really tough decisions.”

Biden said he believes the economy is also beginning to show some signs of hope.

“Consumer confidence is slightly up. The market is slightly up,” Biden said. “It’ll go down again, but the people are beginning to figure out that the president’s got a plan and he believes we can work our way through this.”

Biden’s comments came after the stock market’s gains on Friday capped Wall Street’s best week since November.