Obama Interrupted By Protesters During NH Jobs Speech

It has been almost two years since President Obama has visited New Hampshire, but with just seven weeks until voters head to the polls in the 'First in the Nation' primary state he made a quick visit to Manchester Tuesday to promote his jobs plan.

"It's good to be back in New Hampshire," the president said, drawing cheers from a gym packed with students at Central High School.

Obama was just beginning his speech when he was interrupted by Occupy New Hampshire protesters.

"Mr. President," they chanted "Over 4,000 peaceful protesters have been arrested while 'banksters' continue to destroy the American economy..."

That was as far as they got before they were drowned out by loud boos from the crowd. For his part the president took the interruption in stride.

"I appreciate you making your point," he said. "Let me go ahead and make mine."

Resuming his speech on the jobs bill, Obama said congress has a big decision to make next week when it votes on extending the payroll tax cut.

"In the spirit of Thanksgiving we're going to give them another chance. Next week they're going to take a simple vote. If they vote no again the typical family's taxes are going to go up $1,000."

Most of the president's jobs bill remains mired in bipartisan gridlock, and Obama has used the political morass as a campaign issue, claiming he would like to move the nation to more prosperous economic footing while Congress is blocking those efforts.

"If your members of congress aren't delivering you have to make them listen. Don't be a Grinch," he told the audience.

Obama won the Granite State in 2008, but since then NH has shifted to the right. Republicans now control the state's house and senate and voters elected Kelly Ayotte the US Senate. With an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent - well below the national average of percent - New Hampshire has weathered the economic downturn better than most states, but winning back voters on his message of jobs will be difficult.

GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney wrote an open letter in New Hampshire's three leading newspapers, the Union Leader, the Concord Monitor and the Nashua Telegraph in which he blamed Obama for making the economy worse.

"We have now had three years to watch your policies unfold and to assess their results. The evidence is in and it's unequivocal. I will be blunt. Your policies have failed," the letter read in part.

New Hampshire has always been a difficult state for Obama. Voters went with Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary but he did carry the state in the general election.

In the 2012 presidential race every state, no matter how few electoral votes are at stake becomes vitally important.

The Granite State has only four, but a recent Bloomberg poll had Republican Mitt Romney beating the president by a 10 point margin - a troubling sign for the president as he seeks a second term.