"...a decade of irresponsibility..."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Obama bemoans ‘sledgehammer’ recession

By Agence France-Presse
Thursday, July 8th, 2010 -- 1:57 pm

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0708/obama-bemoans-sledgehammer-recession/

US President Barack Obama Thursday bemoaned a "sledgehammer" last decade of economic irresponsibility, but insisted his policies were succeeding in powering a genuine recovery.

Obama launched a two-day western political swing by touring a plant which makes electric vehicles, a symbol of his plan to spend billions of stimulus dollars to develop a new job-rich green energy revolution.

"This recession was the culmination of a decade of irresponsibility -- a decade that fell like a sledgehammer on middle class families," Obama said, blaming the worst slump in decades partly on the last Republican administration.

Obama, who has seen his personal approval ratings slide as fears grow that the recovery may be slowing, said he had taken necessary decisions to rescue the recovery, even though they were unpopular.

"What is absolutely clear is that we are moving in the right direction -- the surest way out of this storm is to go forwards not to go backwards.

"There are some people who argue that we ought to abandon our efforts - and some people who have made the political calculation ... that it's better to obstruct than lend a hand," Obama said in a swipe at his Republican critics.