Obama: jobs bill a good start, but by no means enough

President Barack Obama signed a $38 billion jobs bill today that is intended to give the nation a jobs boost through $18 billion in tax breaks for small businesses and $20 billion in highway and transit programs.

The bill, which is the first of several jobs measures promised by Democrats this year, was hailed by Obama as essential, "but by no means enough."

Democrats are hopeful that the legislation could create around 250,000 jobs though the end of the year. There have been  $8.4 million jobs lost since the start of the recession.

"Many of them [small business owners] are on the fence right now about whether to bring on that extra worker or two, or whether to hire anyone at all," Obama said. "This jobs bill should help make their decision that much easier."

The bill was supported on a bipartisan basis with 11 Republicans among the 68 senators who voted in favor of the bill, which has to make many of one wonder who the 32 senators are that voted against putting Americans back to work.