Obama Starts Campaign For Jobs Plan

 　　President Barack Obama has begun trying to build public support for his plan to ease unemployment and boost the U.S. economy.  The president started the campaign Friday in nearby Richmond, Virginia.

　　Hours after laying out his $447 billion jobs plan to a joint¹ session of Congress, President Obama took his case directly to the public.

　　“So this is the American Jobs Act," said  President Obama. "It will lead to new jobs for construction workers, teachers, veterans, young people and the long-term unemployed².  [It will] provide tax credits to businesses and workers.  And it will not add to the deficit³.  It will be paid for.”

　　Virginia is considered one of the “swing states” where next year’s election could be decided⁴.

　　Richmond is the home city of the number-two House Republican, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, one of Mr. Obama’s fiercest critics.

　　The president invited Cantor to join him in his appearance at the University of Richmond, but the lawmaker declined, attending a separate event nearby.

　　However, in an opinion piece in Friday’s Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper, Cantor indicated that he is willing to support some parts of Mr. Obama’s plan, and to discuss others.

　　The president welcomed Cantor’s response.

　　“To their credit, I was glad to hear some Republicans, including your congressman⁵, say that they see room for us to work together," said Obama. "They said that they are open to some of the proposals to create American jobs.”

　　Since Mr. Obama took office in 2009, Republicans in Congress have rejected almost all of his economic proposals, objecting to increased spending and deficits⁶.

　　In July, what is usually a routine agreement to raise the amount of money the government can borrow turned into a weeks-long legislative⁷ battle.  Afterward, the S&P credit agency downgraded the rating for U.S. government debt for the first time in history.

　　Public opinion polls show that a vast majority of Americans are unhappy about the way Democrats⁸ and Republicans in Washington are handling economic issues.

　　Mr. Obama’s approval ratings are the lowest of his presidency⁹, and polls show that Republicans have a realistic chance of defeating his re-election bid next year.

　　A stagnant¹⁰ economy, a jobless rate stuck around nine percent, and a public perception that Mr. Obama is helpless to solve them are contributing to his political problems.

　　In Richmond, with the fervor¹¹ of a political campaign, the president demanded action from Congress on his jobs plan.

　　“If you want a tax break, pass this bill," he said. "Prove you will fight as hard for tax cuts for workers and middle-class people as you do for oil companies and rich folks.  Pass this bill.  Let’s get something done.”

　　He also urged his supporters to put pressure on their lawmakers to pass the initiative.

　　The visit to Richmond was the first of what will likely be many presidential trips around the country to promote the jobs legislation.

　　The second will be next Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, the capital of another swing state.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

3 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

7 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

10 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

11 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。