Obama is sitting down with members of the Business Roundtable later today. The White House Press Office has released excerpts of his remarks, and so far, they amount to a full-throated defense of government action delivered to a roomful of corporate chieftains:
I have always been a strong believer in the power of the free market. It has been and will remain the very engine of America's progress – the source of a prosperity that has gone unmatched in human history. I believe that jobs are best created not by government, but by businesses and entrepreneurs like you who are willing to take a risk on a good idea. I believe that our role as lawmakers is not to disparage wealth, but to expand its reach; not to stifle the market, but to strengthen its ability to unleash the creativity and innovation that still make this nation the envy of the world. But I also know this: throughout our history, there have been times when the market has fallen out of balance. There have been moments of economic transformation and upheaval when prosperity and even basic financial security have escaped far too many of our citizens. At these moments, government has stepped in not to supplant private enterprise, but to catalyze it – to create the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive. That's why we laid down railroads and highways to spur commerce and industry. It's why, even in the midst of civil war, Lincoln launched a Transcontinental railroad, and Land Grant colleges and the National Academy of Sciences. It's why we initiated universal public high schools and passed a GI bill to nurture the skills and talents of all our workers. It's why Eisenhower built an interstate highway system, and Kennedy pointed us to the moon, knowing that the exploration would lead to unimagined innovations here on Earth.
I'll post the full remarks when I get them. For now, the list of attendees -- mostly CEOs -- is below the fold.
