Economy, Trumka Both Recovering

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/POLITICS/01/14/health.care.negotiations/story.trumka.speaks.gi.jpg
caption="AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka " width=300 height=169]

Ed Henry
Senior White House Correspondent

As President Obama was trying to tout a healthy economy on Friday, one of his top economic advisers was literally getting sick at the White House.

Democratic officials confirmed to CNN that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka developed a stomach bug and vomited at the White House Friday as Obama prepared to kick off a meeting of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

Trumka is a member of the key outside group that also includes economic heavyweights like former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and former Clinton White House official Laura D'Andrea Tyson, which met Friday to discuss the President's efforts push to create jobs and get Congress to pass strong financial reform legislation.

While Trumka throwing up might not be the best metaphor for the President to play up a healthy recovery, AFL-CIO officials good-naturedly tried to downplay the incident.

"While President Trumka is sick of big banks fighting Wall Street reform this was in no way related to that," AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale joked to CNN. "He just had a stomach bug and is now resting so he can get ready for his next fight."

The economic board's meeting went forward without Trumka, and Vale said the mishap will have no impact on Obama's efforts to resuce the economy. "We are extremely pleased with the millions of jobs that have been created and saved and look forward to continuing to do even more with the President," he said.