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President Obama Blasts Critics on Economy

   VOA News 18 May 2010
   President   Barack   Obama   tours  the  facilities  of  V&M  Star,  a
   manufacturer of steel tubular goods in Youngstown, Ohio18 May 2010

Photo: AP/Susan Walsh

   President   Barack   Obama   tours  the  facilities  of  V&M  Star,  a
   manufacturer of steel tubular goods in Youngstown, Ohio18 May 2010

   U.S.  President  Barack  Obama  is  challenging  critics who claim his
   policies are not helping the country's economy. Â
   Mr.  Obama  told  factory workers in the central state of Ohio Tuesday
   that  the  United  States  would have been in "a deeper world of hurt"
   without  a  massive  economic  stimulus package and the bailout of the
   financial and auto industries.
   He said because of those polices the U.S. economy has started creating
   jobs again and he chastised what he called "the just-say-no crowd" for
   opposing  plans  to  kick-start  economic  growth.   But he also told
   critics it was not too late to work together.
   Mr.  Obama,  a  democrat, did not mention Republicans by name, instead
   criticizing  what he called the "unified, determined opposition of one
   party."
   The president spoke on the same day that millions of Americans vote in
   primary elections in four states. Â
   Some  political  observers  say the elections could serve as a sort of
   referendum   on   the   president's   policies   ahead  of  nationwide
   Congressional elections in November. Â
   Despite  a  multi-billion dollar government stimulus package, the U.S.
   unemployment  rate has climbed to 9.9 percent.  The unemployment rate
   in Ohio is about 11 percent.
   Before  his  speech,  Mr. Obama toured the V&M Star steel plant in the
   city of Youngstown.
   The  plant,  owned  by a French company, is about to invest about $650
   million in a new facility that could create about 350 new jobs.  Some
   of the money for the project is from a federal stimulus grant.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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