Palin fans out for a look and a book in Fairfax 
Sarah Palin brought a taste of Alaska with her to a Saturday afternoon book signing at BJ's Wholesale Club in Fairfax. After early drizzle and rain, flurries began in earnest about 8:30 a.m.
"I wanted to feel like I was at home," Palin said as she walked into the store and the first snowfall of the season dusted a crowd of about 2,200 people who came to meet her.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee signed copies of her memoir, "Going Rogue." The weather dampened planned protests and probably deterred all but the most ardent Palin supporters. She was accompanied by her parents and husband Todd.
Obama Eyes Bank Bailout Funds to Spur New Jobs
Filed at 5:05 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will extend his push to revive the U.S. economy next week with a speech outlining job creation ideas, from encouraging home insulation programs to diverting funds meant to rescue failing banks, officials said on Friday.
With unemployment hovering around 10 percent, political pressure is building on Obama to do more to boost the economy after months of debate on overhauling the U.S. healthcare system and a months-long review of Afghan war strategy.
Obama's Jobs Speech in Pennsylvania
Following is the text of President Obama's speech and question-answer session on the economy on Friday in Allentown, Pa., as released by the White House:
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hello. Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Please, have a seat. Thank you. It is great to see you all. It's good to be back in Pennsylvania. (Applause.) Good to be back in Allentown and Lehigh Valley. (Applause.) Lot of wonderful faces here.
There are a couple of people I want to acknowledge. First of all, the great governor of the great state of Pennsylvania, please give it up for Ed Rendell. (Applause.) We've got an outstanding -- an outstanding congressional delegation that's here: Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz is here. (Applause.) Congressman Chris Carney is here. (Applause.) And Congressman Paul Kanjorski is here. (Applause.)
In Speech, Obama Calls Jobs Report a 'Hopeful Sign'
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — President Obama welcomed with a broad smile on Friday the news that the American economy had lost only 11,000 jobs in November as “another hopeful sign.” But he also expressed a note of caution during a swing through this Pennsylvania Rust Belt town, saying, “we have a lot more work to do before we can celebrate.”
Mr. Obama came to Allentown — a city memorialized in a 1980s Billy Joel tune as the place where “they’re closing all the factories down” — to spotlight his administration’s efforts to revitalize the sagging American economy. With millions still out of work, joblessness is the top issue on many minds.
Mr. Obama is under increasing pressure from Democrats in Congress to take new steps to promote job growth. The White House says he will address the issue in detail on Tuesday, and in a speech at Lehigh Carbon Community College here on Friday, the president made no specific promises.
Obama, lawmakers target bailout fund for jobs bill
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's options for spurring job growth may be limited by out-of-control budget deficits, but he is warming to moves by his congressional allies for a jobs-boosting bill.
Taking his defense of the economy on the road, the president scheduled appearances Friday in Pennsylvania to showcase innovative businesses following Thursday's White House jobs forum. That event combined cheerleading and brainstorming as Obama exhorted more than 100 CEOs, academics, small business and union leaders and local officials to focus on new ways to get businesses hiring again.
At the forum, the president spoke favorably of an expanded program to help make more U.S. homes energy efficient and mentioned trade measures and new tax incentives as being among ways to stop job losses that are the worst since the 1930s.
Lawmakers demand testimony by WH social secretary
WASHINGTON — A House Democrat says someone from the White House social secretary's office should have helped the Secret Service clear people into last week's state dinner, saying "even Walmart has a greeter."
Continuing a 10-day uproar over the security breach last Tuesday, Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California told NBC's "Today" show she believes Congress has a right to hear social secretary Desiree Rogers explain how a Virginia couple got into the state dinner without invitations.
Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, joined Sanchez in demanding Rogers' testimony on Friday, a day after Secret Service director Mark Sullivan took responsibility for the incident in an appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee.
Jobs summit underscores dilemma
President Obama's jobs summit was aimed at producing ideas to battle a surging unemployment problem exacting ever greater economic and political toll, but the event only highlighted the tough dilemma he confronts.
Obama says he does not have the money for the plan many of his liberal supporters say packs the biggest employment punch -- direct federal investment in job creation. Instead, he came close to embracing a to-do list for the private sector that sounded rather familiar: weatherization, small-business incentives, regulatory and other help for exporters, and tax credits for employers who hire new workers.
Obama said the proposals could create jobs immediately, while providing long-term benefit at a relatively small expense to the federal government. "Overall, we generated a lot of important ideas," he said. "Some of them, I think, can translate immediately into administration plans and, potentially, legislation."
Obama calls for new ideas for creating jobs
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama promised at a White House jobs forum on Thursday to take "every responsible step to accelerate job creation," including some ideas he said could be put into action quickly. He cited an expanded program to help make more U.S. homes energy-efficient as an example.
He also mentioned trade measures and possible new tax incentives among ways to stop job losses that are the worst since the 1930s.
"This has been a tough year, with a lot of uncertainty," Obama said as he wrapped up the half-day brainstorming session with more than 100 CEOs, academics, small business and union leaders and local officials. "There's no question that it's difficult out there right now,"
Obama Says Private Sector Must Lead in Creating Jobs
Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said theprivate sector must take the lead in creating jobs as the U.S.economy recovers and that persistently high unemployment “cutsdeep” for the millions out of work.
The president spoke at the opening of a White House forumon creating jobs that assembled a group of economists, unionleaders and business executives such as Eric Schmidt, chiefexecutive officer of Mountain View, California-based GoogleInc., and Fred Smith of Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx Corp.
“We cannot hang back and hope for the best when we’ve seenthe kinds of job losses that we’ve seen over the last year,”Obama said. “What I’m interested in is taking action right nowto help businesses create jobs right now, in the near term.”
US Senate bolsters preventive care for women
(For more on U.S. healthcare reform, click [ID:nN20512341])
* Senate breaks health stalemate with first votes
* Senate amendment follows controversy on mammograms
