Obama says narrowed Fed choices, to announce in months: NY Times

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has narrowed his choices to succeed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to "some extraordinary candidates" and will announce his pick "over the next several months," he said in an interview with the New York Times.

In the interview, released on Saturday, Obama said he wanted a Fed leader who would focus on growing the economy and not just work abstractly to keep inflation in check and markets stable, the Times reported.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Obama says choices now will govern future economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Washington's top priority must be to reverse trends like economic inequality, weakened middle-class security and global competition. He says Washington has lost focus on the economy.

In his weekly Internet and radio address, Obama is pressing economic ideas he's been promoting in an ongoing series of speeches. He wants better access to education, home ownership, health care and secure retirement.

He says that he'll listen to good ideas from either party but that Republicans are threatening to take the nation in the wrong direction.

In the Republican address, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia says Republicans will focus this week on government abuse, such as intrusive regulations and red tape that he says threaten Americans' paychecks and civil liberties.

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Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.gop.gov

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