Obama Promises 600K Stimulus Jobs

President Barack Obama promised today to deliver more than 600,000 jobs through his $787 billion stimulus plan this summer, with federal agencies pumping billions into public works projects, schools, and summer youth programs. Obama is ramping up his stimulus program this week, promising an accelerated pace of federal spending over the next few months to boost the economy and produce jobs.

The announcement comes even as his advisers are downplaying expectations about when the spending plan will stem the nation's rising unemployment. Many of the stimulus plans that Obama announced today already were in the works, including hundreds of maintenance projects at military bases, about 1,600 state road and airport improvements, and federal money budgeted for 135,000 school staff. (More President Obama stories.)