Nightly News   |  September 08, 2010

Obama goes on offensive regarding economy

President Obama went on the attack in Cleveland on Wednesday while pushing a new set of programs aimed at jump-starting growth, even as he acknowledged things haven't gone as smoothly as he and his economic team had hoped. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports.

Share This:

This content comes from a Full-Text Transcript of the program.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: President Obama was in Cleveland today talking about the US economy , jobs, taxes and pushing a new set of programs aimed at jump starting growth, even as he acknowledged things have not gone as smoothly as he and his economic team had hoped.

President BARACK OBAMA: So I am keenly aware that not all of our policies have been popular. So, no, our job is not easy. But you didn't elect me to do what was easy. You didn't elect me to just read the polls and figure how to keep myself in office. You didn't elect me to avoid big problems. You elected me to do what was right.

WILLIAMS: The speech was as much about politics as it was policy. Even the choice of where it took place. Our White House correspondent Savannah Guthrie also visiting the home office here in New York tonight. Savannah , it was interesting. He's back to campaign kind of cadence and mentioning John Boehner a lot in the House of Representatives .

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE reporting: Right. John Boehner , who, of course, is the House Republican leader and the man many think will become speaker of the House were Republicans to get control again of the House . And you're right, he was mentioned eight times in this speech. And the choice of Cleveland today, no accident. It's Boehner 's home state. And he, in fact, gave a speech there on the economy two weeks ago, Boehner did, telling the world that the president should fire his entire economic team. Well, today the president really counterpunched. And you can see this is a White House looking to sharpen the attack, but also make it more specific and really make Boehner the face of the Republican Party . It's one thing to run against a general idea. It's another to have an opponent, and that is clearly where the White House is going with this.

WILLIAMS: All right, Savannah Guthrie on today's speech. Good to have