Obama met bankers today, in particular the CEOs of some of the largest banks in America, in order to implore them to loan money to "main street" small businesses. About this meeting between Obama and large banks, CBS MarketWatch reports:

President Barack Obama on Monday pressed the chief executives of the nation's largest banks to lend more to small businesses, increase their assistance to troubled homeowners and end their opposition to bank regulatory reform legislation moving on Capitol Hill.

"I urged these institutions here today to go back and take a third and fourth look about how they are operating when it comes to small business and medium-sized business lending," Obama said after meeting at the White House with the bankers. "Banks could be doing more to lend to small businesses." See full text of Obama's remarks.

The president met with the executives after calling them "fat cat bankers" on network television Sunday night and attacking their multi-million-dollar bonuses on CBS's '60 Minutes' program.

Some of the great things to come out of this meeting between Obama and banks is that the bank executives Obama met with promised:

1. To do a better job helping people use the Obama's mortgage assistance program. This could potentially help millions of people stay in their homes, while updating their loans to have more affordable payment schedules.

2. To increase lending to small businesses. In particular, "Bank of America said it plans to increase lending to small- and medium-sized businesses by at least $5 billion in 2010 over 2009's results" (CBS News). As 75% of the jobs in this country are traditionally created through small businesses, this is a promising sign.

3. To focus on repaying TARP funds. This money, when it is returned, can help bolster programs that help people who are not working and local governments in need of aid.

These steps, however small, might be just what the middle class needs to stop the current economic tailspin. President Obama is finally listening to the chorus of voices who claim that he is only solving Wall Street's problems, while ignoring the needs of regular families.

But, I think people forget that Obama cannot do it alone. Obama needs the cooperation of banks, law makers, citizens and governments at the local level if his plans are to work. With banks fighting regulation, tea baggers taking to the streets and state governments rejecting stimulus monies that could create jobs, Obama may face an uphill battle trying to save us. Let's hope that Obama succeeds no matter what banks or other political dissenters try to do to foil his plans. Now that Obama has met with these banks, and the banks have made their promises let's see if the banks follow through.