As Obama Holds Jobs Summit, Frustrated Left Complains About Slow Growth

FOXNews.com
December 3, 2009

President Obama said at a much-anticipated jobs summit Thursday that chronic unemployment isn't merely academic and is "a struggle that cuts deep and touches people across the nation."

Chronic unemployment isn't merely academic and is "a struggle that cuts deep and touches people across the nation," President Obama said at a much-anticipated jobs summit Thursday.

The president claimed progress toward an economic recovery while saying much more work needs to be done -- even as the left wing of his party accused his administration of not doing enough to increase employment.

Obama sought fresh ideas from the 130 corporate executives, small business owners and labor leaders who attended the jobs forum. The president said the leading question of the day is "how do we get businesses to start hiring again."

The pressures come from all sides -- businesses would like the White House to focus on free trade, Democrats on Capitol Hill on a jobs bill and many in the American public are narrowing in on deficit spending (and laying off illegal immigrants).

But the jobless figure, a whopping 10.2 percent and expected to rise, is causing a lot of anxiety for Democratic lawmakers up for re-election in 2010, who realize that if it doesn't turn around, they too could be out of a job.

Those lawmakers, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are beginning to voice their complaints about the administration's pace of efforts tackling the unemployment rate.

The CBC, in particular, says Obama officials have not done enough to address the severe economic problems in the black community. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif, reportedly issued a warning Wednesday that the 43 members of the caucus are planning to vote with the GOP to derail a number of Democratic bills if it isn't addressed.

"Today, we are here to reaffirm our commitment to be forceful advocates for the voiceless, and insist that all of the resources of the government, whether they be through financial assistance programs or federal contracting, exhibit a basic fairness and equality that historically has not existed," Waters said in a written statement.

"And we commit to using all of our resources as a collective body to be sure that this is done," she added.

On Wednesday, 10 CBC members boycotted a House Financial Services Committee vote on a financial overhaul bill -- one that still passed.

In an interview with USA Today, the president dismissed CBC's criticism.

"I will tell you that I think the most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community, period, and that is get the economy going again and get people hiring again," the president told the newspaper.

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