Obama, Dems, GOP discuss economy, jobs

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said his meeting Tuesday with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders went well and he hoped for more bipartisan meetings.

"We all understand that there are legitimate and genuine differences between the parties," Obama told reporters after the meeting. "But despite the political posturing that often paralyzes this town, there are many issues upon which we can and should agree."

Obama said he and the leaders from the House and Senate discussed their approaches to job creation and pulling the nation out of the recession.

"At this critical time in our country, the people who sent us here expect a seriousness of purpose that transcends petty politics," he said. "That's why I'm going to continue to seek the best ideas from either party as we work to tackle the pressing challenges ahead."

He said both parties should be able to come together to help create more jobs and provide small businesses with additional tax credits and much-needed loans.

"And we ought to agree on investments in crumbling roads and bridges, and we should agree on tax breaks for making homes more energy-efficient, all of which will put more Americans to work," the president said.

While he said he welcomed a bipartisan spirit, Obama added, "What I won't consider is doing nothing in the face of a lot of hardship across the country."

For the nation's lawmakers and the White House to solve the economic problems that have taken years to create, he said: "It's going to take the cooperation of both parties. It's not going to happen in any other way."