In an impassioned speech to an awards banquet of the Congressional Black Caucus, Obama likened his efforts to win approval of his $447 billion jobs package to civil rights struggles of the 1960s and exhorted his audience to "march with me and press on."

Facing a tough 2012 re-election fight, Obama sought to shore up once-unquestioned support in the black community where opinion polls show waning voter enthusiasm for his policies while some politicians have criticized him for not focusing enough on black unemployment.

Obama, America's first black president, acknowledged the frustration and appealed to his listeners to "keep the faith."

"I'm going to press on for jobs," Obama said to wild cheers. "Shake it off. Stop complaining. Stop grumbling. Stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do."

In the latest stop on his "pass this bill" tour, the Democratic president also seized the chance to keep pressure on Republicans over his jobs plan and taunt them for not embracing a package that includes tax cuts to spur company hiring.

Reuters