Warning that further inaction could send the economy into deeper trouble, President-elect Barack Obama began making the public case for his economic plan, saying that while government was in part responsible for the current crisis, that government alone could "break the cycles that are crippling our economy."

"It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth, but at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe," he said.

Obama, no longer a candidate but president-elect, took to the stump nonetheless as he stepped up efforts to sell the nation on what he calls the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." In his speech, delivered in Northern Virginia and also carried by most of the broadcast networks, he offered few new specifics of his plan, but rather broad principles and a preemptive defense of the expensive plan.

"I understand that some might be skeptical of this plan. Our government has already spent a good deal of money, but we haven't yet seen that translate into more jobs or higher incomes or renewed confidence in our economy," he said. "That's why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won't just throw money at our problems - we'll invest in what works."

The package would combine spending on public works projects and investments in education and healthcare reform with tax cuts for 95 percent of American workers. He also reiterated promises to keep the plan free of earmarks, and promised great transparency in how the funds are spent.

"[We] won't just throw money at our problems - we'll invest in what works," he said. "Our goal is not to create a slew of new government programs, but a foundation for long-term economic growth."

He notably cautioned that any further inaction could cause the recession to "linger for years," and send the unemployment rate into "double digits." Later, he also conceded that the economic crisis would likely grow worse before it gets better.

To that end, he urged Congress "to act without delay."

"I know the scale of this plan is unprecedented, but so is the severity of our situation," he said. "We have already tried the wait-and-see approach to our problems, and it is the same approach that helped lead us to this day of reckoning."

The president-elect closed with allusions to two revered Democratic presidents of the past, urging Americans to rise above narrow partisanship "and insist that the first question each of us asks isn't 'What's good for me?' but 'What's good for the country my children will inherit?'

"More than any program or policy, it is this spirit that will enable us to confront this challenge with the same spirit that has led previous generations to face down war, depression, and fear itself," he said.

Republicans on the Hill reacted to the speech with continued optimism for bipartisan cooperation, but reiterated concern over the long-term financial repercussions. Calling the $1.2 trillion deficit in 2009 an "eye-popping number," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "Let's not use the obvious need for a stimulus package as a way to make it worse."

-- Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad