President-elect Barack Obama met with nearly all of the nation’s governors on Tuesday and pledged to involve states in his plan to tackle the US recession and create or save 2.5 million jobs. The governors urged Obama to pump money into infrastructure and help support the poor as a sinking economy hits state budgets.

President-elect Barack Obama: “I know these are difficult times. I don’t think anybody here is viewing the situation through rose-colored glasses. We’re going to have to make some hard choices in the months ahead about how to invest these tax dollars. We’re going to have to make hard choices like the ones that you’re making right now in your state capitals, we’re going to have to make in Washington. And we are not as a nation going to be able to just keep on printing money, so at some point we’re also going to have to make some long-term decisions in terms of fiscal responsibility, and not all of those choices are going to be popular.”