Obama Calls U.S. 'A Little Bit Lazy' About Foreign Investment

Obama: 'We've Been A Little Bit Lazy'

Speaking to a group of CEOs this weekend President Barack Obama said the U.S. has "been a little bit lazy" about performing in the global marketplace.

We haven't been hungry enough about "selling America" oversees in order to attract new businesses and foreign investment, the president said.

There are a lot of things that make foreign investors see the U.S. as a great opportunity -- our stability, our openness, our innovative free market culture. But we've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades. We've kind of taken for granted -- well, people will want to come here and we aren't out there hungry, selling America and trying to attract new business into America.

Some Republicans have jumped on the comment, claiming the president blames Americans for the country's economic troubles.

The president spoke this weekend at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Hawaii. Obama said his administration has set up an organization focused on making it easier for foreign investors to build in the U.S., but there is still much more to do.

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