Obama pushes bill as GOP targets red tape

WASHINGTON -- The White House and congressional Republicans just can't agree on the best prescription for the economy, with President Barack Obama demanding passage of his $447 billion jobs bill and the GOP pushing to cut government red tape.

Both efforts, the focus of competing radio and Internet addresses Saturday, face little chance of success as all-or-nothing proposals in a divided Congress. Three weeks after Obama submitted his legislation, the Democratic-controlled Senate has yet to consider it.

"It is time for Congress to get its act together and pass this jobs bill so I can sign it into law," he said in his address Saturday.

The president has mounted a steady public campaign on behalf of his bill, trying to cast Congress and Republicans in particular as obstacles. With a populist flair, Obama has barnstormed across the country to prod Congress, so far to no avail.

The stops have come in contested election states such as Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia, and the president has taken his message directly to the districts of leading Republicans.

In the GOP address, Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia made a pitch for legislation in the House that would reduce regulatory requirements on businesses. "For years, excessive regulations have been a source of frustration for businesses trying to stay afloat," he said.