Obama blasts Republicans for blocking jobs bill

US President Barack Obama on Saturday again hit out at congressional Republicans for blocking his jobs bill, blasting lawmakers for their partisan politics and urging them to "do the right thing." In his weekly Internet and radio address from Detroit, where he and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak visited a General Motors plant on Friday, Obama said he would soon give lawmakers "another chance" to pass parts of the draft. Obama hailed Congress for passing long-stalled free trade pacts with South Korea, Panama and Colombia this week, saying the measures would "help create jobs at a time when millions of Americans are out of work." But he called the Senate's move on Tuesday to block his $447 billion jobs plan "disappointing," noting: "We can't afford this lack of action. And there is no reason for it." Two Democratic senators, facing tough reelection fights, joined Republicans in ensuring that Obama's jobs bill would not reach the 60-vote supermajority needed to advance in the 100-seat Senate. Obama -- who is facing a tough battle for re-election in 2012 -- has nevertheless pledged to fight on for the plan, as the United States confronts stubborn 9.1 percent unemployment and a slow recovery from a painful recession. He accused House Republicans of diverting attention from the jobs issue by "picking partisan ideological fights" in recent days, adding: "They're not focused on the concrete actions that will put people back to work right now." Senior White House officials have said they will work with Democrats in Congress to schedule votes on parts of the bill, including an extension of payroll tax cuts and financing to keep public employees like teachers in work. They hope to force Republicans into tough votes that will see the party's lawmakers facing the prospect of voting against tax hikes for the rich and money to help war veterans find work. "There's still time for Congress to do the right thing. We just need to act," the president said, noting he would ask Congress to vote next week on measures to put teachers, police officers and firefighters back to work. "And if they vote 'no' on that, they'll have to tell you why," he said.