Obama criticizes GOP while calling federal deficit major concern
Racine, Wisconsin (CNN) - President Barack Obama acknowledged Wednesday that the federal deficit is a significant concern, but he also criticized Republicans for obstructing what he called commonsense legislation and siding with big business.
In a campaign-style speech and in answering questions from a crowd of about 1,400 people in economically hard-hit Racine, Wisconsin, Obama depicted Republican opponents as obstructionists to necessary progress for continuing recovery from what the president called "the great recession" that started under the previous GOP administration.
"We already tried the other side's ideas," Obama said, adding that the choice now facing the nation is to "return to the failed economic policies of the past" or to keep working to build a stronger future.
Obama weighs in on Boehner and Barton controversies
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/30/art.getty.obama.3.4.jpg caption="President Obama is in Wisconsin on Wednesday touting his economic plan."]Racine, Wisconsin (CNN) - President Barack Obama takes his economic message on the road Wednesday, traveling to Wisconsin to hold a town hall on the economy. But he also plans to use the forum to take aim at some recent controversial comments by two top Republicans.
"We already tried the other side's ideas. We already know where their theories led us. And now we have a choice as a nation. We can return to the failed economic policies of the past, or we can keep building a stronger future," the president is expected to tell an estimated audience of 1,300 in Racine, Wisconsin, according to excerpts of Obama's speech released by the White House.
Listen: CNN's John Lisk and Paul Steinhauser discuss Obama's trip.
The president's event comes one day after the stock markets on Wall Street tumbled, following a report showing a slump in consumer confidence and signs of a bigger slowdown in the global economy.
White House begins new Stimulus push
Washington (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden Thursday helps kick off what the White House calls "Recovery Summer," a six week long push to highlight what the administration says will be jobs created this summer and fall by a surge in federal stimulus spending across the country.
The vice president, who oversees implementation of the Recovery Act, gives a report later Thursday to President Barack Obama that lays out a projected spike in stimulus activity and how it will contribute to what the White House says will be a steady climb to 3.5 million Recovery Act jobs by the end of the year.
On Friday, Obama travels to Columbus, Ohio, to mark the groundbreaking of what's touted as the 10,000 Recovery Act road project to get underway.
On Monday, Biden visits Midland, Michigan, for the groundbreaking of a new advanced battery manufacturing facility, which was made possible by a $161 million stimulus grant awarded last year.
In addition to the Obama and Biden events, the White House says that five Cabinet Members and other senior officials will hold kickoff ceremonies across the country Thursday and Friday, which they say are the first of over two dozen site visits and groundbreakings Administration officials will participate in across the country in the weeks ahead.
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