❗Help close the gap: We still need to raise $40,000 by the end of March. Donate now
News In Brief

Obama puts focus on economic efforts in rural U.S.

Daryl Paranada Apr 28, 2010

President Obama continued his two-day trip through rural America to talk about his economic efforts, clean-energy plans and the need to reform the financial system.

His trip through Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois on Tuesday and Wednesday were opportunities for him to discuss ideas on his plans to rebuild the economy in rural communities.

From the Washington Post:

He has used this leg of the “White House to Main Street” trip, as administration officials call it, to link risky financial speculation to the dire economic straits many small towns are enduring nearly two years after the near-collapse of the financial system. He said the recession was “born” on Wall Street.

On Monday, the Obama administration released a report on the rural economy, which discussed his efforts to ensure economic opportunities for rural America – including increasing lending to small businesses in rural areas, promoting renewable energy, and creating opportunities. The president has also used the tour to make the case that his programs and efforts have helped to ease some of the economic pain brought by the Great Recession.

Obama’s tour comes as the White House is beginning to turn its attention to midterm elections, in which many polls predict big Democratic losses in Congress. Obama is reaching out to the grassroots network that helped him become president and has stepped up his fundraising efforts.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.