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When US President Barack Obama lays out his new jobs strategy next week, at least one idea will be missing -- legalizing drugs and prostitution.
The president smoothly deflected the unorthodox suggestion from a second-year college student at a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania dedicated to his evolving plans to create jobs.
"I appreciate the boldness of your question... that will not be my job strategy," a smiling Obama said.
"Part of what you're supposed to do in college is question conventional wisdom.
"You're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing, which is, you know, thinking in new ways about things" the president joked as the audience roared with laughter before he went on to explain his economic and job creation strategy.
In his question, the student said he had been studying statistics and wondered if Obama has also thought about "legalizing prostitution, gambling, drugs and non-violent crime in order to stimulate some of the economy."
Obama is set to provide more details of his plan to cut unemployment, which dipped slightly in November to a still massive 10 percent, in a major speech in Washington on Tuesday.
