As troubles mount in D.C., Obama hits the road

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

President Obama flew to Boston on Tuesday to drum up support for greater investment in education, while back home in Washington the Senate toiled over budget-slashing proposals to stave off a government shutdown and defense officials monitored a renewed outbreak of violence in Libya.

Obama's visit to TechBoston Academy in Massachusetts was his fourth domestic trip in the past month. Each week since January the president has visited a different city to highlight a different priority in his fiscal 2012 budget.

Meanwhile, political revolts are sweeping across the Middle East, clashes over public employee pension benefits are paralyzing some state governments and Congress is in a stalemate over a budget resolution intended to avoid a government shutdown.

Some say Obama can only play a limited role in resolving the crises involving Libya, state governments and even Congress, and his time is better spent focusing on jobs and economy-boosting investments.

"The president feels very strongly that education and education reform is an economics and a jobs issue," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday.

Obama's proposed budget for fiscal 2012 includes an 11 percent increase in federal education spending to more than $77 billion.