Obama at Cleveland forum

Photo by: Carolyn Kaster

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo

President Barack Obama speaks at the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011.

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Twenty months ahead of the 2012 election, President Barack Obama is traveling the nation, vying for the public’s attention one state at a time, while international crises and budget fights compete with his plans for economic revival.

On Tuesday, Obama curried favor with small businesses in politically important Ohio.

Mike Garvey, M-7 Technologies CEO and Youngstown Business Incubator board member, was invited to the summit as one of three representitives from the Youngstown area.

At the meeting, Obama pushed his plans to boost American competitiveness by increasing spending on sectors such as education and infrastructure. That agenda, however, is running up against opposition from some Republican governors in cash-strapped states, and GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill, whose demands for deep spending cuts raise the prospect of a federal-government shutdown.

Keeping with his pledge to focus more on jobs after his party’s sweeping defeats in the midterm elections, Obama’s message to swing-state voters is strictly economic. He’s touting cuts to some domestic programs in his proposed budget as a way to bring down the deficit, while also citing the need for increased spending on education, infrastructure and research as a way to boost job growth and help the country compete in the global economy.

“By cutting back on what we don’t need, we can invest in the future. We can invest in the things that are critical to our long-term success,“ Obama said Tuesday to more than 100 small-business leaders gathered at Cleveland State University.

However, Obama’s calls for increased spending run counter to the deep budget- cutting steps being taken by governors in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Indiana and Ohio, where Gov. John Kasich is backing state legislation that would end collective bargaining for public employees. Kasich greeted Obama at the airport Tuesday upon his arrival in Cleveland.

Obama also faces budget battles back in Washington, where the lawmakers are debating a bill to fund the government through Sept. 30. The Republican-led House passed a bill early Saturday that cuts $61 billion for hundreds of federal programs. Though the bill faces longer odds in the Senate, Obama has threatened a veto should the measure land on his desk.