(AP) - President-elect Barack Obama implored Congresson Thursday to "act boldly and act now" to fix an economy growingperilously weaker. Leading lawmakers set an informal goal ofmid-February for enacting tax cuts and government spending thatcould cost as much as $1 trillion.

Democrats complained openly about the incoming administration'sproposed tax cuts and Republicans warned against excessive newspending, both parties letting Obama know they intend to placetheir own stamp on the economic recovery effort.

A call for a $3,000 tax break for job creation drew particularcriticism in a private meeting, and numerous lawmakers said Obamahad not ticketed enough of his tax proposal for energy projects.

But there was little or no dispute about the need for action,and Obama's remarks coincided with a pair of government reportsshowing fresh weakness in an economy already in crisis. An updatedreading on unemployment was expected to bring even more bad news onFriday.

"If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years,"with unemployment reaching double digits, Obama said in a speech atGeorge Mason University in suburban Virginia. "A bad situationcould become dramatically worse."

Less than two weeks from taking office as the 44th president,Obama has become increasingly vocal in recent days about the needfor steps to revitalize the economy, even though he has continuedto defer to President George W. Bush on matters of foreign policy.

Obama's aides and congressional Democrats have worked for weekson legislation to create jobs, help the unemployed, cut taxes andaid cash-strapped states. Obama sent his chief politicalstrategist, David Axelrod, and incoming chief of staff, RahmEmanuel, as well as other aides to the Capitol for a series ofmeetings with lawmakers.

The measure probably will include a bewildering array ofprovisions - from subsidies to help the newly unemployed affordtheir health care to a massive new effort to improve the energyefficiency of federal buildings.

Obama said this week he hoped to be able to sign legislation byearly to mid-February. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,promised lawmakers she would cancel next month's plannedPresidents' Day vacation if necessary.

"We are not going home without an economic recovery package,"she said at a news conference. Senate Republican leader MitchMcConnell of Kentucky, at a difference appearance, agreed thatallowed enough time to get the job done.

"But we ... don't want to make big mistakes that exacerbate the- the problem we already have, which is a dramatic, eye-poppingdeficit," he added.

Lawmakers in both parties were digging into the details - few ofwhich have been made public - and not always liking what they saw.

Democrats emerging from a private meeting of the Senate FinanceCommittee had little positive to say about Obama's tax cutproposals. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., was critical of a proposed taxbreak for workers and their families.

"Twenty bucks a week. How much of a lift is that going togive?" he said. Nor did he sound positive about a proposed taxbreak for businesses to create jobs. "If I'm a business person,it's unlikely if you give me a several thousand dollar credit thatI'm going to hire people if I can't sell the products they'reproducing," he said.

Conrad and others said Obama's blueprint included about $10billion in tax incentives related to energy, out of about $300billion overall - a slice they said was too small.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., added, "Just giving people $500 or$600, while certainly welcome when there is all this economic hurt,may not be the best stimulus." He cited evidence that taxpayersused money from the last economic stimulus measure to pay downtheir debt, rather than make new purchases.

Republicans noted forecasts of a record $1.2 trillion deficitfor the current year and said too much additional spending could beharmful. "We can't buy prosperity with more and more governmentspending," said Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republicanleader.

In his speech, Obama said more bad news was just ahead. Hepredicted that on Friday, "We are likely to learn that we lostmore jobs last year than at any time since World War II."

There were two government reports released within hours of hisspeech, both showing more weakness in the economy.

One said consumer borrowing - credit card use and items such asnew auto loans - plunged by $7.94 billion in November, a recordamount in dollar terms.

A second said more men and women were drawing jobless benefitslast week than at any time since the 1982 recession. Joblessnesswas 6.7 percent in the government's most recent report beforeFriday's new figures.

In his speech, Obama said there was plenty of blame to go aroundfor the current economic situation. He cited "an era of profoundirresponsibility that stretched from corporate boardrooms to thehalls of power in Washington, D.C."

Yet he also projected an air of confidence about the future.

"We can restore opportunity and prosperity. We should neverforget that our workers are still more productive than any onEarth," he said. "Our universities are still the envy of theworld."

Pelosi, at her news conference, outlined a schedule for theHouse to follow. It envisioned committee action in the next fewweeks, followed by a vote in the full House after Obama'sinauguration on Jan. 20.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has also talked ofgetting legislation to the White House by early February.

To watch Obama's full speech, go to Channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and selet iO Extra.