Obama promises more than 600,000 stimulus jobs; Cabinet questions spending and job creation

September 10th, 2009 White House reports 1 million jobs saved, createdWASHINGTON — White House economists said Thursday that the Obama administration's recovery efforts have saved or created more than one million jobs so far, an optimistic report that economists cautioned was preliminary and uncertain. President Barack Obama has promised that his $787 billion stimulus plan will create or save 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year.

July 12th, 2009 GOP unifies against any more stimulus spendingWASHINGTON — Republicans lined up Sunday in opposition to a second economic stimulus package, a rare demonstration of unity from an out-of-power political party in search of a rallying cry against President Barack Obama. Republicans called Obama's $787 billion spending plan a "flop" and said it hasn't fulfilled its hype.

June 27th, 2009 GOP notes job losses after federal spending spreeWASHINGTON — Republicans concerned about the Obama administration's big spending on economic stimulus, energy and health care are asking, "Where are the jobs?" "The president and Democrats in Congress claim this spending binge is necessary to put Americans back to work," House Republican leader John Boehner said Saturday in the Republican radio and Internet address. "They promised unemployment would not rise above 8 percent if their trillion-dollar stimulus was passed.

June 9th, 2009 Obama's new stimulus plan same as the oldWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is promising some exciting coming attractions for his stimulus plan. But it turns out they're just summer reruns.

June 9th, 2009 SPIN METER: Meet the new stimulus, same as the oldWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is promising some exciting coming attractions for his stimulus plan. But it turns out they're just summer reruns.

June 8th, 2009 Obama ramps up stimulus spending to create jobsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is promising to deliver more than 600,000 jobs through his $787 billion stimulus plan this summer, with federal agencies pumping billions into public works projects, schools and summer youth programs. Many of the stimulus projects that Obama said will save or create jobs this summer already were in the works at military bases and airports, on roads and in school districts.

June 8th, 2009 White House defends optimistic stimulus modelWASHINGTON — The White House is defending the overly optimistic economic models it used to justify the historic stimulus plan. Four months after the stimulus was passed, unemployment is far higher than expected and continuing to rise.

June 8th, 2009 Obama repackages stimulus plans with old promisesWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama assured the nation his recovery plan was on track Monday, scrambling to calm Americans unnerved by unemployment rates still persistently rising nearly four months after he signed the biggest economic stimulus in history. Obama admitted his own dissatisfaction with the progress but said his administration would ramp up stimulus spending in the coming months.

June 8th, 2009 Obama, facing high unemployment, defends stimulusWASHINGTON — Eager to show action on the ailing economy, President Barack Obama promised Monday to speed federal money into hundreds of public works projects this summer, vowing that 600,000 jobs would be created or saved. Responding to persistently high unemployment figures and criticism that the stimulus was not worth its historic price tag, the president argued his recovery plan was on track.

June 8th, 2009 Obama's Day: President, Cabinet meet on stimulusWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, back in Washington from Europe and the Middle East, is turning his focus to domestic policy. He'll be meeting Monday with his Cabinet on implementing the economic Recovery Act.

May 14th, 2009 Obama defends his stimulus packageRIO RANCHO, N.M. — President Barack Obama says if the government hadn't stepped in to help, the economy would have gone into a tailspin.

May 11th, 2009 US defends stimulus despite inequity for neediestWASHINGTON — The Obama administration is defending its transportation stimulus plan, saying it is solid even though the neediest communities are least likely to benefit. An Associated Press analysis of more than 5,500 transportation projects revealed that the jobs are being steered toward counties with lower unemployment.

April 29th, 2009 SPIN METER: Counting jobs a political numbers gameSILVER SPRING, Md. — When Ed Pegler was laid off from his highway construction job four months ago, the 47-year-old father of two didn't know when he'd be back to work.

April 29th, 2009 SPIN METER: The politics of counting stimulus jobsSILVER SPRING, Md. — When Ed Pegler was laid off from his highway construction job four months ago, the 47-year-old father of two didn't know when he'd be back to work.

February 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US lawmakers reached a compromise deal Wednesday on a record economic recovery package, which could allow the plan to pass both houses of Congress before the end of the week. The Senate and House of Representatives ironed out differences in separate versions of the stimulus bill and knocked the total price tag down to $789 billion, including a mixture of tax cuts and government spending projects to pull the US out of its worst recession in decades.