North Carolina - US President Barack Obama told fired-up supporters
on Wednesday that if they loved him, they must help pass his jobs bill,
injecting more urgency into his push for key legislation.
Obama
hit another key 2012 electoral swing state, North Carolina, to hike
pressure on Republicans over his $447bn American Jobs Act which is
designed to jolt the economy and ease 9.1% unemployment.
One
supporter from the raucous crowd shouted to Obama that they loved him,
and in a standard response from his 2008 campaign he replied "I love you
back" - then added a new twist.
"If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill," Obama said, repeating the line to more cheers.
Obama's
appeal may work with his supportive political base, but will cut little
ice with Republicans seeking to exploit his diminished job approval
ratings which are at 44% in a RealClearPolitics average of recent polls.
The
president, on the latest leg of what aides say will be a months-long
tour to promote the bill, also complained that some Republicans were
against the legislation because they wanted to deprive him of a
political victory.
"Give me a win? Give me a break," Obama said,
during his pared-down stump speech which is peppered with demands that
Republicans "pass this bill".
Republicans however are increasingly
dismissing the jobs plan as a political stunt, complaining Obama
proposes to finance it by reducing itemised deductions for Americans
earning over $200 000 a year and closing corporate tax breaks.
They
have said that they are interested in some aspects of the bill which is
weighted towards payroll tax cuts and includes infrastructure spending,
but may pass those pieces separately, not in the whole bill as Obama
demands.