President Obama says he understands the frustrations of the Congressional Black Caucus, but thinks it would be a "mistake" for him to focus too exclusively on the plight of black Americans in the recession. "The most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community, period, and that is get the economy going again and get people hiring again," he tells USA Today.
"It's a mistake to start thinking in terms of particular ethnic segments of the United States," said Obama. The interview came a day after the CBC boycotted a House vote on financial reform and called for stronger action to help minority-owned businesses and black unemployment. His comments came before today's jobs summit in DC, during which he urged the private sector to help find solutions, notes Reuters. (More President Obama stories.)