President Downplays Weak Jobs Report
Saturday, July 7th, 2012 -- 6:51 AM
-President Barack Obama downplayed a weak jobs report Friday as he wrapped up a two-day bus tour to critical states in the November election, while Republicans pounced on the news to declare the president's policies have failed.Stock prices plunged on the report that the economy created 80,000 jobs in June, well below the number needed to bring down the 8.2% unemployment rate.
At a campaign event in Poland, Ohio, Obama said the job growth -- while smaller than needed -- continued a trend that has added 4.4 million jobs in the past 28 months following what he called "the worst economic crisis of our lifetime."
"That's a step in the right direction," Obama contended.
Republicans, however, called the weak growth a result of Obama policies that don't work.
Certain GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney called the jobs figures a "kick in the gut for middle-class families," blaming Obama's policies for continued high unemployment and saying it was "time for Americans to choose whether they want more of the same."
"His policies have not worked," Romney said at a brief news conference in New Hampshire, where he is vacationing with his family.
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