President Obama took to the offensive today in selling the economic stimulus package. He traveled to Elkhart Indiana, arguably the city that has been most effected by the economic crisis. It has seen its unemployment rise from 4.9% to over 14%. In Elkhart the President stated: "The situation we face could not be more serious. We have inherited an economic crisis as deep and as dire as any since the Great Depression. Economists from across the spectrum have warned that if we don’t act immediately, millions more jobs will be lost, and national unemployment rates will approach double digits. More people will lose their homes and their health care. And our nation will sink into a crisis that, at some point, we may be unable to reverse."Full text

Late in the afternoon the package In the evening the President gave his first televised press conference. In his opening remarks as criticism of the opponents of the plan he stated:

"But as we've learned very clearly and conclusively over the last eight years, tax cuts alone can't solve all of our economic problems -- especially tax cuts that are targeted to the wealthiest few Americans. We have tried that strategy time and time again, and it's only helped lead us to the crisis we face right now". Full Text.

In the afternoon First Lady Michelle Obama continued making the rounds of the departments of the government, today visiting the Department of Interior, where she gave a speech.