Thursday, October 21, 2010, 07:35 pm

President Obama meets Steve Jobs to discuss economy, technology [u]

By Josh Ong

U.S. President Barack Obama and Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs are scheduled to meet Thursday to talk about economy and technology issues.

Update: The meeting took place Thursday afternoon. During the meeting, Jobs and Obama "discussed American competitiveness and education, especially reforms such as the President's Race to the Top initiative," a White House spokesperson said in a statement. The two also talked about "energy independence and ways to increase job creation," Reuters reports.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said earlier Thursday that Obama and Jobs would meet at a San Francisco Hotel for about 45 minutes, Bloomberg reports. Jobs, who has supported Democratic candidates and organizations before, last met with Obama in 2008 during the presidential campaign.

“This is a meeting the president was interested in having,” Gibbs said. “He’s eager to talk to him about the economy, innovation and technology, education.”

According to the report, Obama is in the San Francisco Bay Area to help raise money for the Democratic National Committee. Google vice president Marissa Mayer and clean technology venture capitalist Steve Westly will each host a fundraiser at their homes Thursday. Tickets to the event at Mayer's house cost $30,000 a head, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. A Democratic Party official told Bloomberg that the DNC hopes to raise as much as $1.8 million from the two events.

Obama has embarked on a five-state trip to raise money for his fellow Democratic candidates. On Friday, he'll attend an event in Los Angeles for incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer, who is being challenged by former HP CEO and Republican Carly Fiorina.