President Barack Obama on Saturday said that Congress has stymied recovery by blocking measures he said would create jobs and help growth, according to Reuters.
In remarks recorded on Wednesday on his campaign-style bus tour in Illinois and aired during his holiday in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Obama said the stalled construction, trade and payroll tax bills could give a boost to the economy.
"The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That's the problem right now. That's what's holding this country back," the president said in his weekly radio address, which is also transmitted on the Internet …
He has been criticized for taking off to Martha's Vineyard, a wealthy island retreat near Boston, at a time when some 14 million Americans are out of work. Such breaks are typical for U.S. presidents, and the Obamas also took vacations in Martha's Vineyard in August of 2010 and 2009.
The White House has said the president would spend much of his nine-day absence from Washington working on the job and growth package he will unveil in an early September speech.
It's a good thing the president appears to be making his stay on Martha's Vineyard a working vacation. It may lessen the tide of angry voices rising up against his administration and embolden his supporters.
Read more at Reuters.
In other news: Jalen Rose Released From Jail.