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Obama vows job-creation focus
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
President Barack Obama speaks at the beginning of a meeting with the Jobs and Competitiveness Council at the corporate and U.S. manufacturing headquarters of Cree, a leading manufacturer of energy-efficient LED lighting. Monday, June 13, 2011, in Durham, N.C. Seated left of Obama is Ellen Kullman and right is Jeff Immelt, Chair, The President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Associated Press
DURHAM, N.C.
Beset by a grim employment picture, President Barack Obama on Monday pledged to ease the way for businesses to expand hiring and offered assurances to an anxious public that he is focused on creating jobs — the top political issue heading into the 2012 election and the Achilles heel of his presidency.
“The sky is not falling,” Obama said. But the president, in a state that he narrowly won in 2008, could not ignore dismal recent economic reports.
“Our economic challenges were years in the making,” he told workers at an energy-efficient lighting plant in Durham, “and it will take years to get back to where we need to be.”
Obama called for educating more high-technology workers, announcing a plan to train 10,000 new American engineers every year through a public-private partnership. He also had a high-profile meeting with top CEOs who make up his advisory jobs council, offering encouragement for several ideas, including a plan that could create an estimated 114,000 jobs by increasing energy efficiencies in commercial and apartment buildings.
The visit to North Carolina, which was to be followed by fundraising stops in Miami later Monday, illustrated the political high stakes for Obama. By focusing on jobs, Obama provided a counterpoint to his Republican critics, particularly the seven 2012 presidential hopefuls who were meeting in New Hampshire Monday evening for a debate where they were sure to draw sharp contrasts with Obama’s approach on the economy.
“Today, the single most serious economic problem we face is getting people back to work,” the president said. “We stabilized the economy, we prevented a financial meltdown, and an economy that was shrinking is now growing. ... But, I’m still not satisfied. I will not be satisfied until everyone who wants a good job that offers some security has a good job that offers security.”