US President Barack Obama is taking aim at Senate Republicans, accusing them of playing politics with measures that would extend benefits to the unemployed and increase lending to small businesses. Striking a deeply partisan tone in his weekly Saturday radio and online address, President Obama said the GOP leadership has chosen to "filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress" by blocking votes on agenda items the president says would breathe life into the economic recovery. "These steps aren't just the right thing to do for those hardest hit by the recession," President Obama said. "They're the right thing to do for all of us." The address was recorded at the White House before President Obama flew to Maine on Friday for a weekend family vacation. President Obama said lawmakers' obligation to extend benefits is both moral and practical, citing some economists who believe extending unemployment insurance is one of the most cost-effective ways to jump-start the economy because it puts money in the pockets of people who are likely to spend it quickly. President Obama accused Republicans of making their stand at the expense of the unemployed "after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit." President Obama also called on lawmakers to send him a package of tax breaks and credit extensions for small businesses. Democrats are hoping to force Republicans to vote on the small business bill by the time Congress breaks for its August recess.
