Even before he has laid his hand on the Lincoln Bible to take the oath of office, President-elect Barack Obama is campaigning for passage of the new economic stimulus plan entitled the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The plan was introduced in the House Appropriations Committee yesterday by committee chair Rep. David Obey (D-WI).
 
As reported here previously, the bill is already meeting with criticisms.

But those criticisms are not preventing Obama from producing a full-throated endorsement of the plan.

In remarks to workers at Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Co. Inc. in Bedford Heights, Oh. Obama said:

It’s not too late to change course – but only if we take dramatic action as soon as possible. The way I see it, the first job of my Administration is to put people back to work and get our economy working again. That’s why I’ve moved quickly to work with my economic team and leaders of both parties on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will immediately jumpstart job creation and long-term growth. And I’m pleased that Congress has seen the urgency as well, and is moving quickly to consider such a plan.

It’s a plan that will save or create three to four million jobs in businesses large and small across a wide range of industries – and 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector. And I want to be clear – we’re not looking to create just any kind of jobs here. We’re looking to create good jobs that pay well and won’t be shipped overseas. Jobs that don’t just put people to work in the short-term, but position our economy to be on the cutting edge in the long-term.

The incoming President also sounded a note of optimism about a brighter economic future based on this bill. The quotes are from prepared remarks released by the transition team:

Now, given the magnitude of the challenges we face, none of this will come easy. Recovery won’t happen overnight, and it’s likely that, even with these measures, things will get worse before they get better.

But if anyone doubts that we can dig ourselves out of this hole, I invite them to come here to Ohio and look what you’ve done at Cardinal Fastener. I know it hasn’t been easy – and it hasn’t been without risk. But you’ve set your sights on the future, and you haven’t looked back. In an economy that’s losing jobs, you’re creating them. And they’re the kind of jobs that don’t just support families and sustain communities – but also help transform our economy, spurring growth not just today, but for decades to come.

That’s what we’ve always done in moments like this. We’ve looked ahead to the next big idea, that next new breakthrough. We’ve experimented and innovated, and when we’ve failed, we’ve picked ourselves up and tried again. And I know that if we can summon that determination and that great American spirit once again, we will meet the challenges of our time and build a better future for our children.

This will certainly be an interesting process to watch as Congress and the President-elect battle to figure out how to jump-start a flailing economy and re-engage an American optimism necessary to fuel a new outlook in the midst of a destroyed economy.