Friday, October 23, 2009

President Barack Obama says passage of comprehensive energy legislation is key to America's future success and that those opposing it are using "cynical claims" to stop it.

In a speech Friday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the president said "the closer we get the harder the opposition will fight."

But President Obama says he believes a consensus is growing. He says the nation's economic future is tied to its environmental promise and describes innovation as key to righting a flagging economy. Using familiar refrains from his campaign, the speech was designed as a nudge to lawmakers to act on a top priority of the president's.