Obama Meets With Economic Advisers
(CORAL GABLES, FLA.) - Surrounded by a group of his economic advisers, Barack Obama expressed his support for Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, but he offered little detail on his own plan on the economy.
"I will refrain from presenting a more detailed blueprint of how an immediate plan might be structured until I can fully review the details of the plan proposed by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve," Obama said at a press conference.
"It is critical at this point that the markets and the public have confidence that their work will be unimpeded by partisan wrangling, and that leaders in both parties work in concert to solve the problem at hand."
Obama said it is now up to the Fed and the Treasury Department to jumpstart the economy, adding that they should have "broad authority" to do so. However, Obama said it was important not for voters to remain calm in order for the market to stabilize. "Let's make sure that we don't compound them with a fear and panic right now."
At a rally after the press conference, Obama accused John McCain of wrongly faulting him for the economic meltdown.
"This is the guy who spent nearly three decades in Washington and after spending the entire campaign saying I haven't been in Washington long enough he apparently now is willing to assign me the responsibility for all of Washington's failures now," Obama said adding, "I think it's pretty clear that Senator McCain is a little panicked right now."