White House defends stimulus model that proved overly optimistic, says jobs goal remains solid

September 11th, 2009 White House defends Sept 11 training exerciseWASHINGTON — The White House is defending the Coast Guard's decision to hold a training exercise in the Potomac River on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says he doesn't believe the White House was notified about the training exercise.

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.

September 10th, 2009 White House cautiously optimistic on stimulus jobsWASHINGTON — White House economists said Thursday that the Obama administration's recovery efforts have saved or created more than 1 million jobs, an estimate that underscored a cautiously optimistic forecast about the direction of the economy. 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.

June 23rd, 2009 Obama defends Iran policy against GOP criticsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is answering Republican critics of his cautious response to the violence following the disputed election in Iran. Obama told reporters at the White House that he believes all Americans, including his critics on Capitol Hill, want justice to prevail in Iran.

June 18th, 2009 Stimulus Watch: Follow along as Obama counts jobsWASHINGTON — Few things in President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan have engendered as much skepticism or criticism as his oft-repeated promise to create or save 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year. Republicans in Congress have labeled it fuzzy math.

June 14th, 2009 Biden says 'everyone guessed wrong' on jobs numberWASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday that "everyone guessed wrong" on the impact of the economic stimulus, but he defended the administration's spending designed to combat rising joblessness. Biden said inaccuracies in unemployment predictions shouldn't undercut the White House's support of the $787 billion economic revival plan that has not met the expectations of President Obama's team.

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 promises more than 600,000 stimulus jobsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says the United States remains in a deep recession that will take considerable time to escape. Obama met at the White House with his top administration officials on Monday to hear an update on his $787 billion spending plan.

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 5th, 2009 Biden: White House to 'ramp up' economic recoveryWASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden said Friday the White House plans to "ramp up" the pace of its economic recovery efforts as the government reported the unemployment rate jumped to its highest level in over a quarter-century. Addressing reporters, Biden said the latest jobs report reflects how millions of Americans are still hurting, but he also said there were "some signs of hope today." The jobless rate in May shot up from 8.9 percent to 9.4 percent and 345,000 more jobs were slashed from company payrolls.

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.

May 11th, 2009 White House: Stimulus on pace for 3.5 million jobsWASHINGTON — The Obama administration is defending its claim that the $787 billion economic stimulus plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs before 2011 even while conceding that unemployment will likely continue to rise beyond its earlier predictions. A report Monday by the White House Council of Economic Advisers said the projections were based on conservative estimates and widely accepted assumptions.

May 10th, 2009 Japan minister defends stimulus spending packageTOKYO — A Japanese minister defended his government's $150 billion stimulus package Sunday against criticism it allocates too much money to wasteful pet projects meant to woo voters. Minister of Finance Kaoru Yosano said the stimulus measures, which won legislative approval recently, would encourage gradual but basic structural changes to the economy to boost growth and steer it away from export dependence.