U.S. President Barack Obama accused Congress on Saturday of holding back the economic recovery by blocking "common sense" measures he said would create jobs and help growth. In remarks recorded on Wednesday on his campaign-style bus tour in Illinois and aired during his holiday in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, President Obama said the stalled construction, trade and payroll tax bills could give a boost to the economy. "The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That's the problem right now. That's what's holding this country back," the President said in his weekly radio address, which is also transmitted on the Internet. In his Saturday remarks, President Obama acknowledged the country remained far from full health. "We're going through a tough time right now. We're coming through a terrible recession," he said. "So we need folks in Washington -the people whose job it is to deal with the country's problems, the people who you elected to serve- we need them to put aside their differences to get things done."
