The unemployment rate remains at a staggering 9.7% and 36,000 more Americans lost their jobs last month. A recent CBS News/New York Times poll showed 52% of Americans believe the economy/jobs is the most important problem facing the country with health care a very distant second at 13% (source). And the next few weeks promise to be very busy ones for President Barack Obama:

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Of course passage of his vision of health care reform remains the president's number one priority. He will be traveling to Philadelphia on Monday and St. Louis on Wednesday to pitch yet again the hugely unpopular and obscenely expensive plan in front of friendly crowds.

On March 18 the president and his family will begin an international trip to Guam, Indonesia and Australia. Not exactly nations with pressing needs for a visit from the leader of the free world but there is speculation that his trip could result in an increase of investments by US companies into the Indonesian economy. (source)

On April 15 the president will host a conference in Florida on his administration's approach to the next step in space exploration. Mr. Obama and top officials will discuss the future of US efforts in human space flight and the president will unveil an "ambitious plan" for NASA. (source)

On April 26-27 the president will host an entrepreneurship summit with Muslims to "identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world." (source) Participants from more than 40 countries over five continents have been invited to the Washington DC event.

But to anyone who thinks Mr. Obama's priorities are not in tune with the country's needs or that he is too busy with government power grabs, meaningless summits/conferences and the growth of foreign economies; fear not! White House spokesman Robert Gibbs assures us the president will make his NCAA basketball picks public before the March 18 start of the tournament. (source)