Happy BIrthday, America!
July 8th, 2011
04:06 PM ET
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White House Week in Review

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Topics: The Visuals • week in review
Briefing rundown: Can White House use jobs report to get debt limit deal done?
July 8th, 2011
12:56 PM ET
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Briefing rundown: Can White House use jobs report to get debt limit deal done?

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Looks like everyone got the same talking points at the White House this AM: the bad jobs report means Congress has to do more, starting with raising the debt limit. First, Chief Economic Advisor Austan Goolsbee and President Obama expressed that sentiment and now White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has essentially said the same thing.

From the briefing:

The President believes very strongly – as a vast majority of right thinking economists believe- that Congress needs, Congress needs to act and we need to act to take the measures necessary to deal with our budget deficits and to deal with our long term debt. Not, this is not a constitutional issue. And the fact is that the balanced budget amendment would be, is basically an admission by Congress that they can't do anything, right? And that's not true, as these discussions that we're engaged in right now. And it should not be true and it's a shame if people actually believe that.

The White House clearly wants the bad jobs numbers to provide a sense urgency to the debt limit talks this weekend. The problem for the president though is the same bad jobs report has given ammunition for the GOP to double down on their tax cut demands that the White House and Congressional Democrats find so unpalatable.


Topics: Briefing Bites
Obama's call to action
July 8th, 2011
12:08 PM ET
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Obama's call to action

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President Obama used his bully-pulpit Friday to call for congressional action on a series of bills relating to the economy in the wake of the bad jobs report. Those comments echoed similiar sentiments from White House Chief Economic Adviser Austan Goolsbee, who told CNN the report should constitute a "call to action."

Here's the recap from CNN Wires:

(CNN) - President Barack Obama called on Congress Friday to take a series of steps to help strengthen the economic recovery, including dedicating more money to infrastructure repair, streamlining the patent approval process, passing several free-trade agreements, and extending the current payroll tax break.

He also called for a rapid conclusion to the debt ceiling talks. "The sooner we get this done," the sooner businesses will have the certainty needed "to grow and to hire," he said.
Topics: The News
Obama’s day ahead: Jobs, economy, Pelosi pow wow
July 8th, 2011
07:55 AM ET
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Obama’s day ahead: Jobs, economy, Pelosi pow wow

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Update: The president has added an on camera statement at 10:35 to react to the jobs report.

Good morning from the White House. The news here today is likely to be dominated by a soon-to-be-released labor report showing if and how many jobs the economy added last month. Given the same report failed to meet expectations last month, spokesman Jay Carney will no doubt be peppered with questions if today’s report again proves disappointing.

President Obama too will likely weigh in on the jobs report publicly, set to sit for several interviews with local media outlets at 11:30. The president is hoping to discuss the rebounding economy and the importance of reaching a compromise on the debt ceiling negotiations. But his message could be clouded if the report fails to meet expectations and further signal the recovery is proceeding slower than anticipated.

Also on the president’s schedule: a private meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That comes less than a day after the Democratic leader emphatically stated her caucus would oppose any cuts to Social Security or Medicare as part of a debt ceiling compromise. Obama meanwhile has signaled he is open to possible cuts. Let’s just say it’d be nice to be a fly on the wall during that meeting.

Full schedule after the jump:
FULL POST
Topics: Daily Schedule