Obama: Teachers not ‘doing fine’
Teachers not ‘doing fine’: Can Obama find his footing on recovery? (via The Christian Science Monitor)
While downplaying a remark Friday that the US private sector is “doing fine,” President Obama nevertheless focused on stalwarts of the public sector – teachers – for his weekly Saturday address, saying Washington has to spend more to help states re-hire laid-off teachers.
“There are plenty of steps we can take, right now, to strengthen our economy. Putting teachers back in our kids’ classrooms is one of those steps,” Obama said. “And there’s no excuse for inaction. You work hard. Your leaders should, too. Especially at this make-or-break moment for the middle class.”
The debate over whether Congress should pass the American Jobs Act, which proposes to spend $450 billion on state aid and infrastructure improvements, has come amid pre-election grappling over the President’s handling of the US economy, and what role a recalcitrant, tea party-infused Congress has played in scuttling Obama’s path to recovery.
While some have calculated Obama has overseen the slowest spending growth in