Boehner ‘Disappointed’ at 290,000 New Jobs « The Washington Independent
Though the nation’s economy created 290,000 new jobs in April — the most in four years — House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) sees only dark clouds. Never mind that economists have predicted for months that the nation’s unemployment rate would tick upwards as more jobless folks felt better enough about their prospects to re-enter the workforce (which is precisely the reason behind April’s 9.9 percent figure). That uptick, Boehner says, is indication that the Democrats failed to confront the crisis in a meaningful way.
“A 9.9 percent unemployment rate is a harsh reminder that families and small businesses continue to ask ‘where are the jobs?’” he said in a statement issued this morning.
“„Positive job growth is always welcome news, but this rising and painfully high unemployment rate is a far cry from President Obama’s promise that the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ would keep joblessness from rising above eight percent. It has not, and millions have lost their jobs while Washington Democrats continue to push job-killing policies that pile more debt onto the backs of our kids and grandkids. These misguided policies include a massive government takeover of health care, a Wall Street bailout bill, a value-added tax, a gas tax, and a government takeover of the Internet, all of which will kill jobs.
“„Washington Democrats have no coherent agenda to create jobs, and no interest in doing anything but continue to spend money we don’t have on ‘stimulus’ programs that don’t work. Our economy will ultimately recover, but it will do so because of the hard work and entrepreneurship of the American people, not more wasteful Washington spending. Republicans have proposed better solutions to cut spending now and help put people back to work.
Actually, this comes as no surprise. For all the ambiguities surrounding last year’s stimulus bill — was it enough? where will the money go? would it be spent fast enough? — this much was crystal clear: Republicans, once they’d voted unanimously against the bill, were going to criticize the results no matter what they were. (Boehner’s statement today is evidence of that trend.)
But the strategy also leaves Republicans in the uncomfortable position of rooting against the economic recovery for political ends. Leaves you wondering how well that pessimism will play at the polls if the recovery continues to pick up.
