Obama pitches manufacturing plan on plant tour

On Thursday, Obama will seek support for his proposals in Georgia, a conservative-leaning state, before making his case on more familiar terrain Friday with a visit to Chicago — his hometown.

Republicans have already made clear that the president's renewed emphasis on jobs and the economy may not win over their support.

"When you raise the price of employment, guess what happens? You get less of it," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters Wednesday morning. "At a time when the American people are still asking the question, 'Where are the jobs?' Why would we want to make it harder for small employers to hire people?"

Obama is asking Congress for $1 billion to create a network of "manufacturing innovation institutes" — partnerships among the private sector, the federal government and colleges. He's also advocating for an end to tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, tougher enforcement of trade laws and new steps to open markets in Europe and Asia.

Obama's aides sees improvements in manufacturing as a bright spot in the U.S. economy and an opportunity to showcase his economic efforts in light of Republican complaints that he has allowed other issues to interfere with the focus on countering unemployment. The White House says manufacturing added 500,000 jobs the last three years after more than 10 years of decline.

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Follow Josh Lederman at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP