Obama blames GOP for Economy

President Obama today blamed Republicans in Congress for the flailing economic recovery, saying "every problem we face is within our power to solve. What's lacking is our politics."

"We have the answers to these problems. We have plenty of big ideas and technical solutions from both sides of the aisle. That's not what's holding us back. What's holding us back is a stalemate in Washington," the president said in his weekly address.

While there's been some progress on his proposals to boost the economy, Obama said "on most of the ideas that would create jobs and grow our economy, Republicans in Congress haven't lifted a finger. They'd rather wait until after the election in November."

"I think that's wrong. This isn't about who wins or loses in Washington. This is about your jobs, your paychecks, your children's future. There's no excuse for Congress to stand by and do nothing while so many families are struggling. None," he said.

The president continued to call on Congress to invest in infrastructure and education and to give small-business owners a tax break to get the economy moving.

"There's no reason to wait," he concluded.