Obama preparing kids to take on Indians, Chinese in global economy

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama remains focused on creating jobs and preparing American children for competing against the Chinese and the Indians and a whole host of different countries, says a top aide.

Obama is going to Schenectady, New York Friday to “visit the birthplace of General Electric, talk about the economy,” Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Thursday.

“It will be the future home of their advanced battery manufacturing,” he said explaining why Obama was going there. “This is a company that has brought jobs from overseas back into the United States, obviously that’s important.”

“And a company that as a result of some of the work that the President did on commercial diplomacy before and, while in India, saw an expansion of the business that they do all over the world that supports jobs here in America,” Gibbs noted.

In response to another question about a tension between Obama’s short and long term goals, he said: “Let’s understand the steps that we have to continue to take in the medium and the long term to prepare our children for competing in an economy against the Chinese and the Indians and a whole host of different countries.”

“I think that the President wants to and will outline what he thinks is the best course forward to ensuring that we’re dealing with a whole host of problems, including how do we grow our economy, how do we help and work with the private sector to create jobs, and how we get our fiscal house in order all at the same time.”