Obama: U.S., New Orleans recovery tough

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- New Orleans' slow recovery from Hurricane Katrina may be analogous to the slow recovery the U.S. economy is experiencing, President Obama said Thursday.

Obama and Democratic politicians got a friendly reception at the town hall meeting at the University of New Orleans. When the audience booed Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, the president defended him.

"Bobby, first of all, if it makes you feel any better, I get that all the time," Obama said. "And the second point is that even though we have our differences politically, one thing I will say is this person is working hard on behalf of the state, and you've got to give people credit for working hard. He's a hard-working man."

Obama warned the audience fixes won't be quick and answers won't come easily.

"It requires a renewed spirit of cooperation and commitment among our citizens ," he said.

Criticism heaped on the administration of George W. Bush for its sluggish response to Katrina prompted Obama to place Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts and disaster response efforts among his top priorities. He spoke of New Orleans' rebuilding efforts since the beginning of the year and discussed the overall economic recovery.

"Of all the signs of progress I've mentioned today, this is perhaps the most powerful -- the idea that there are still people coming to this city, especially young people -- who are committed to its future ... and eager to rebuild something better in place of what was," Obama said. "That's the kind of commitment and determination we need at this moment, not only in New Orleans, but all across America."

Obama's first visit to the Crescent City since his election drew criticism because of its length -- less than four hours, CNN reported.