The White House’s invited guests who will hear President Obama speak to Congress tonight about creating jobs for the common man include a CEO under fire for moving jobs to China and a mayor who recently built a six-foot wall around his mansion.
Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of GE and head of the president’s jobs council, tops the list of invited guests who will listen to Mr. Obama’s speech from the first lady’s box in the House chamber.
Mr. Immelt has been criticized for GE’s plan to move the headquarters of its x-ray business to Beijing; Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio Democrat, has even called on him to resign from his presidential post promoting U.S. jobs.
He will be joined in the box by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who raised the ire of neighbors earlier this year by erecting a security wall around the mayor’s mansion. A local ordinance prohibits fences that exceed 42 inches in height.
Among the other guests in the box will be AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka, America Online founder Steve Case, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a teacher, a nurse, and several small business owners.
