by Michael Muskal
Armed with some good economic news, President Barack Obama took his campaign for more jobs to Pennsylvania today, but ran into more than he bargained for in questions.
Speaking at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, Pa., Obama made the usual points: That his administration had worked hard to unfreeze credit and to stimulate the staggering economy that it inherited and is focused on how to create new jobs.
The president then threw the floor open to questions and suggestions.
<strong>One student asked Obama if he had ever considered a program of legalizing drugs, prostitution and other so-called victimless crimes as a way of improving the economy.
"I appreciate the boldness of your question," Obama said after the laughter subsided. "But that will not be my jobs strategy."
He went to praise the questioner "for doing what a student should do ... think in new and different ways."
Obama then made his pitch for "green" jobs as a way of creating new work. The president said he will outline an economic and jobs program when he addresses the nation next week.
The point of today's visit to Pennsylvania was to highlight job-creation efforts and follows a White House jobs summit on Thursday. Obama arrived armed with the latest unemployment figures showing that the national jobless rate had dropped from 10.2 to 10 percent in November.
"Today, the Labor Department released its monthly employment survey and reported that the nation lost 11,000 jobs in November - about 115,000 fewer than was forecast," Obama said.
"The unemployment rate ticked down, instead of up. And the report also found that we lost about 160,000 fewer jobs over the last two months than we had previously thought. It's the best jobs report we've seen since 2007.
"This is good news, just in time for the season of hope. But I want to keep this in perspective. We still have a long way to go. I still consider one job lost one job too many. And as I said yesterday at a jobs conference in Washington, good trends don't pay the rent. We need to grow jobs and get America back to work as quickly as we can."
(President Barack spoke at Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, Pa., the first stop on a tour of cities that the president plans to promote job growth. Photo by Jeff Fusco / Getty Images)
This also was an opportunity for Obama to get personal, a style tgat he exhibited throughout his campaign and one to which he reverts when gets beyond the Beltway.
When one questioner asked about a problem he was having with the Veterans Administration, Obama was quick to reassure him.
"You went straight to the top," Obama said. "I suspect somebody will be calling you on your cell phone in about two seconds.''
Comments
Since Obama is in Allentown, PA during his "jobs" tour (yet another photo op) let's see how his "stimulus" provided jobs there--according to Obama's own records.
"So what can Recovery.gov tell us about the impact of the stimulus on Allentown, Pennsylvania, the first stop on President Obama's jobs tour?
Examining zip code 18102 on Recovery.gov tells me that the "City of Allentown" was awarded $672,157 in total awards, and 0.00 jobs were created or saved from it.
Then another $2,258,098 was awarded to the "City of Allentown," with another 0.00 jobs created or saved.
The "Allentown Housing Authority" was awarded $2,274,904, with another 0.00 jobs created or saved.
The "School District of the City of Allentown" was awarded $5,967,031, with the space for "jobs created/saved" left blank.
So there's $10 million with no jobs created.
Then the "Roberto Clemente Charter School" was listed as "amount for location" of $100,560, with the space for "jobs created/saved" left blank.
"Allentown Art Museum Inc." was listed as "amount for location" of $50,000, with the space for "jobs created/saved" left blank.
"Boys and Girls Club of Allentown" was listed as "amount for location" of $42,500, with the space for "jobs created/saved" left blank.
"Valley Youth House Committee" was listed as "amount for location" of $85,111, with the space for "jobs created/saved" left blank.
The "Lehigh County Conference of Churches" was listed as "amount for location" of $225,000, with the space for "jobs created/saved" left blank.
Hey, I think I spotted the problem with the economy! All of this money is being thrown around, but nobody's created any jobs with it!:" (from NRO, doing the legwork the agenda-driven media refuses to do).
Posted by: Bruce | December 4, 2009 2:10 PM
Good economic news ?
The jobless rate is closer to 18% when the self-employed and independent contractors are added into the ugly picture.
Foreclosures and the national scandel known as hunger and homelessness are alive, well and expanding.
Sorry but this spin just doesn't add up to reality.
Posted by: writerofwrongs | December 4, 2009 4:16 PM
Q: How low can you go????
*
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/04/obama.approval.poll/index.html
*
A: Much much much lower . . .
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 4, 2009 5:46 PM
why are we not making real jobs rebuilding the infrastructure? That was the deal right? I mean bridges falling in and jobs needed and we are sill bailing out these thieves on Wall Street? Look at some of the recent job statistics at http://www.resume-objective.us it is a shame that despite the jobs numbers, nothing has been done to remove this corruption on Wall Street and the Federal Reserve who has turned a blind eye to the problem!
Posted by: dave | December 4, 2009 6:44 PM
Why doesn't BO stand-up for the legalization of drugs and prostitution, after-all why should the gov't be able dictate what a person can do with their bodies? Isn't that the pro-choice arguement?
Posted by: Terry | December 4, 2009 7:23 PM
Ugh, the commenters on this site are getty crazier and nuttier and ruder.
Posted by: Joe | December 4, 2009 9:43 PM
Apparently, Obimbo did not get the memo from ACORN telling him that prostitution is a good business opportunity and something someone should seek to do!
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 4, 2009 10:34 PM