Obama to keep hitting Congress for doing nothing

President Obama said Thursday that he plans to take his message that the economy is weakening because of Republican obstructionism straight to the American people over the next year, though he denied that strategy is based on Harry Truman's famous 1948 victory after blaming a Republican Congress for doing nothing.

"If Congress does nothing, then it's not a matter of me running against them; I think the American people will run them out of town, because they are frustrated, and they know we need to do something big and something bold," Mr Obama told reporters in the East Room during a White House news conference.

"I would love nothing more than to not have to be out there campaigning because we were seeing constructive action here in Congress," Mr. Obama said when he was asked by CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante if was willing to negotiate with Republicans on his $447 billion jobs bill.

Mr. Obama said Republicans are pressing for unwinding many of the policies his administration has fought for over the past three years, including new rules for financial firms and rules to protect the environment.

"Does anybody really think that that is going to create jobs right now and meet the challenges of a global economy that is weakening with all these forces coming into play?" he asked.

And he said Republicans are also proposing long-term changes to U.S. patent law, which he called "very important for our long-term competitiveness."

But "there's nobody out there who actually thinks that that's going to immediately fill the needs of people who are out of work, or strengthen the economy right now," he said.

Mr. Obama reminded the reporters of well-publicized comments from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said that his top priority is making sure Mr. Obama is not returned to the White House for a second term.

"I've got to go out and enlist the American people to see if maybe he'll listen to them if he's not listening to me," Mr. Obama said.

Mr. Obama continues to insist that Congress pass the nearly $450 billion jobs package, though leaders from both parties have said it is not likely to pass either the Senate or the House in its current form.