RACINE, Wis. (WTAQ) - In a rousing campaign-style speech in Wisconsin, President Obama lit into congressional Republicans on Wednesday.
Obama ripped House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, who told the "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" the financial reform bill before Congress is so big it, "is like killing an ant with a nuclear weapon."
The President went on to say Boehner couldn't possibly be "that out of touch with the struggles of the American families." Obama was speaking in Racine, which has been hit hard by the recession and has an unemployment rate more than 14 percent.
Boehner responded in a statement, saying Obama should be focused on solving the problems facing the country instead of attacking Republicans.
He cited stopping the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and, "scrapping his job killing agenda" and repealing recently passed healthcare reform legislation.
The Republican lawmaker defended his comments to the newspaper, saying he wasn't minimizing the crisis but rather, "pointing out that Washington Democrats have produced a bill that will actually kill more jobs and make the situation worse."
President Obama told residents that the economy is headed in the right direction, but it might not be moving fast enough for people there. The president made clear there are many challenges facing the U.S., but none so important as putting people back to work. He also pushed for financial regulatory reform, clean energy legislation and an extension of jobless benefits.
