CJReport

President Obama tried to soothe troubled hearts in troubled times Saturday, saying in his weekly address that the nation faces dire problems but will surely overcome them, calling the mounting economic crisis a time to discover America's next "great opportunity."

"That is what we can do and must do today," Obama said in his weekly radio and video address, taped on Friday at the White House. "And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do."

On Saturday morning, the president and first lady Michelle Obama flew by helicopter to the presidential retreat in Camp David, Md., for the weekend. Their daughters, Sasha and Malia, traveled to Camp David separately, the White House said.

There was a faint echo of former President John F. Kennedy in Obama's radio and Web address, which came at the end of a week in which he launched a complex plan to help struggling homeowners and held a summit on health care reform.
"Yes, this is a moment of challenge for our country. But we've experienced great trials before," the President said.

"And with every test, each generation has found the capacity to not only endure, but to prosper - to discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis."

Obama repeated his promise to save or create 3.5 million jobs over the next two years and to give 95% of the working public a tax break starting April 1.

The work week ended on more down news, with the report of 651,000 more American jobs slashed and an unemployment rate climbing to 8.1 percent. That is the highest rate of people out of work in more than 25 years, as the recession continued to put enormous pressures on families and industries.

His rundown of the past week: the launch of a more detailed plan to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure; a new credit plan to spur lending for people and businesses; an overhaul of the way the government hands out private contracts to reduce waste; and a summit on how to overhaul health care.

On the last point, Obama has set a goal of signing a bill this year that would fix the U.S. health care system, which is the costliest in the world and leaves an estimated 48 million people uninsured, plus many others lacking adequate coverage.

"Our ideas and opinions about how to achieve this reform will vary, but our goal must be the same: quality, affordable health care for every American that no longer overwhelms the budgets of families, businesses and our government," Obama said.