November 2, 2009 4:55 PM

Obama on Economy: We Have a Long Way to Go

(AP)  President Barack Obama said Monday the public and private sectors must find more ways to create jobs to continue the nation's climb out of an economic recession.

Obama said the economy has pulled back "from the brink" but still has a long way to go, especially in creating jobs. The president said job losses would continue for weeks and months to come and called for bold, innovative action by his administration, Congress and the private sector to create more good-paying jobs.

Obama made the remarks at the start of a White House meeting in the Roosevelt Room with economic advisers. The session was open to reporters and streamed live on the White House Web site.

He also said the U.S. must break out of a "debilitating gridlock on trade policy," by ending the false choice between a wide-open, free wheeling import policy or fearful, protectionist approach to trade. He called for a more balanced policy of letting the world know America wants to compete and trade - fairly - with anyone. He gave no specifics.

In opening remarks, Obama credited his stimulus package for recent upticks in economic numbers, including a significant boost in manufacturing that was reported on Monday.

But, he said, "The reason we're here today is because we just are not where we need to be yet. We've got a long way to go. We are still seeing production levels that are significantly below peak levels and most distressing is the fact that job growth continues to lag."

© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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by wyodutch November 3, 2009 6:38 AM EST
Once again, Americans are falling for the tired, old "My political party is better than your political party" crap.
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Wake up for God's sakes... there isn't a plugged nickles worth of difference between the Democrats and the Republicans... They're both pushing big government, big spending, big wars and big baloney.
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While the politicians screw us... we debate which thief is doing a better job.
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by dan1967win November 2, 2009 6:31 PM EST
When Bush was our President 3.6 million manufacturing jobs were lost. How can the people in Virginia or New Jersey vote for another Republican? Here is a Link that gives details about the failed economic policies of Bush and the Republicans: http://budget.house.gov/doc-library/fy2009/7.31.08_Bush%20economic_%20and%20fiscal_%20record.pdf
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by maiingan November 2, 2009 5:02 PM EST
If Prez B.O. wants to see unemployed Americans get jobs, he needs to implement policies which will put us first in line to get hired. Otherwise, given the public slander and private discrimination against the unemployed, the vanguard of "added jobs" are more likely to be filled by already-employed people just changing jobs. The term for this is "churn." I posted my suggestions after Sean Alfano's blog today entitled "Economist: High Unemployment to Last" so interested people can read more there. Since employers have proven themselves capable of reducing the total number of jobs, there's no guarantee that jobs vacated by job-changers would be available for unemployed Americans hoping to be hired when companies scrape the bottom of the barrel.
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by whosaid1 November 2, 2009 3:48 PM EST
Well heck....I thought he would have had it "fixed" by how !! Oh, I forgot...Bush is to blame !! I can see it now....Obama's "written" legacy will start and end with..."it's wasn't my fault...Bush did it"
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by tafhdyd November 2, 2009 5:03 PM EST
Bush wasn't to blame, it was president Cheney. By the time Bush realized he was going to take the fall for the worlds troubles that Cheney caused he was in over his head just like everything else he was involved with.
by natdef_1 November 2, 2009 3:39 PM EST
And it gets longer every day you're in office, Bacock.
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