White House reaches out to Intel critic who blasted job policies

The White House has tapped Intel CEO Paul Otellini to advise President Obama on job growth after the tech chief spent months criticizing the White House's economic policies.

In a sort of "we can hear you now" response to Otellini's persistent criticism, President Obama's campaign to reconcile with industry invites in one of his chief tech-sector critics, tapping Otellini to join the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

Otellini has call the healthcare law potentially "prohibitive" and has railed against the stimulus. He said of Democrats in Washington last year: "I think this group does not understand what it takes to create jobs. And I think they're flummoxed by their experiment in Keynesian economics not working."

He made it clear he thinks this administration has created an uncertain environment for businesses. Asked during an interview in August what advice he would give the president on jobs, Otellini said: 

“The most important thing the current administration can do is remove the number of variables out there. There are so many things where business leaders can’t predict what’s going to happen. Businesses don’t like uncertainty. When you start reducing the variables and putting predictability into the system, you can now make informed decisions.”

The Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, created in January and chaired by GE chief Jeffrey Immelt, advises Obama on job growth and workforce issues. 

Obama will visit Intel in Hillsboro, Ore., on Friday, where he will tour the facility and deliver remarks calling for investments in education.