Jobs Report Fuels Calls for Obama to Include Stimulus in U.S. Deficit Deal

A U.S. Labor Department report showing employers added jobs at the slowest pace in nine months fueled demands from Democrats that President Barack Obama press for some form of economic stimulus in the debt deal the White House is negotiating with Republicans.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the chamber’s third- ranking Democrat, called for an “immediate jolt” to the economy by extending and enlarging a one-year reduction in the payroll tax that’s set to expire Dec. 31. He said the measure should be enacted “as quickly as possible by including it in the final debt-limit agreement.”

Jared Bernstein, until recently Vice President Joe Biden’s chief economic adviser, predicted the White House would step up efforts to include in the debt deal additional infrastructure spending or a new temporary payroll tax reduction.

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Obama spoke separately to Seattle's KING television and answered a question that the reporter said was given to her by an Alaska Airlines passenger who wrote it on a napkin.

The questioner wanted to know whether, when he deals with his Republican opponents, "are you altogether too reasonable?"

Some Democrats believe Obama has been too accommodating to Republicans on some issues. Those worries have grown as the White House seeks to negotiate a debt and deficit deal with Republicans that may include slowing the growth of popular entitlement programs.

Chuckling, Obama said he has sought to tamp down the political polarization of recent years.

"Are there times where I say, 'Boy, these folks are driving me nuts?' Absolutely."

"Are there times where I think that they are just trying to score some political points instead of solving problems? Absolutely."

He said his job is not to be "goaded into a food fight."

"There are times where I'm pulling my hair out. You notice it's gotten much grayer than it was," he said.

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He said his job is not to be "goaded into a food fight."

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makkam said:

That's a good way of putting it because that's what it looks like sometimes. Except the Republicans are throwing the food and Democrats complain about it.

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