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"The private sector is doing fine." Pres. Obama later clarified his odd remark - private sector...

  • Saturday, June 9, 2012, 8:15 AM ET
    "The private sector is doing fine." Pres. Obama later clarified his odd remark - private sector jobs remain 4.6M below their Jan. 2008 peak - but noted their relative strength vs. public sector job growth shows it has "not been the biggest drag on the economy." His point was that the loss of public sector jobs, down ~600K in three years, is a problem "the federal government could, with 100% certainty, fix."
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This news story has 19 comments:

  • President Obama is right, millions of jobs added, federal spending down. Just look at the last Republican in office,600,000 Americans fired each month,endless wars with borrowed money.
    9 Jun 2012, 08:30 AM Reply Like
  • Democrat Record
    Let’s look at the facts. During the democrats iron fisted rule of Congress from, Jan 2007-2011, 6.4 million jobs were lost. Under the Obama regime over 300,00 jobs have been lost.

    Fact 1: Jan 2007 146,033,000 employed Democrats seize Congress
    Fact 2: Jan 2009 142,201,000 employed
    Fact 3: Feb 2009 141,687,000 employed Stimulus passed
    Fact 4: April 2012 141,865,000 employed


    http://bit.ly/MVzjsr
    9 Jun 2012, 10:16 AM Reply Like
  • What an Obama-moron ! I guess the government could hire EVERYONE ! There solved.
    9 Jun 2012, 08:30 AM Reply Like
  • Romney's top goal is to protect the wealthy,borrow money-interest paid to wealthy, eliminate all social security-Medicare. Have American workers compete with China on wages paid.
    9 Jun 2012, 08:35 AM Reply Like
  • At least China is Growing.:)
    9 Jun 2012, 08:37 AM Reply Like
  • There is a tendency on the Left to excuse bad economics as long as it is not 'protecting the wealthy.' It is worse than excusing, it is a style of not even worrying if a public policy is good economics or not as long as it is infused with the proper values of 'compassion' and 'fairness.'

    But here is the $64,000 question, if what really matters at the end is to help the poor, does bad economics helps or hurts them?
    9 Jun 2012, 10:33 AM Reply Like
  • Our current President is a moron. Sad, but true. The government can fix everything and anything according to Obama. Why do we need the private sector? Obama will just raise the debt limit and throw money at your problems at the expense of the taxpayer. Thanks!


    Terry: This has been the weakest post-recession jobs recovery in over 30 years. During President Obama's last 3.5 years he increased federal debt by approximately $4 trillion dollars (an unprecedented amount over a 3.5 year period). I'm glad all that money was well spent because our economy is booming now! haha. Not to mention all of his proposed government regulation which is causing companies to hit the brakes on hiring new workers. After companies cleaned house and fired so many people in late 2008 through mid-2009 it would be difficult not to have positive job growth in 2010 and 2011. Looks like his "strategies", if you can even call them that, aren't working.

    http://bit.ly/LwOIOt


    http://bit.ly/Mjq6ai

    http://bit.ly/MVnWAV
    9 Jun 2012, 09:07 AM Reply Like
  • His strategies are working for the results that he wanted. Remember he is a member of the Democratic Socialist Party who believes he had the right strategies to remake America and redistribute the wealth. Well his strategies are working to destroy America as taught to him by Jermy Wright, that if he gets four more years it will all be over but the shouting.
    9 Jun 2012, 09:48 AM Reply Like
  • "is a problem "the federal government could, with 100% certainty, fix."
    Just ask the Soviet Union.
    9 Jun 2012, 09:36 AM Reply Like
  • Obama does not get that public sector jobs create zero revenue and sap the vitality of the private economy.

    Why not hire everybody, eliminate all taxes and simply print unlimited money to pay all these newly employed (non-productive) government workers? Think of the stimulus that would provide.

    NOT.

    All references to Austerity should be replaced with "Living within your means." That used to be thought of as a good thing.
    9 Jun 2012, 10:09 AM Reply Like
  • Only a clown like Obama would call losing government jobs a problem that needs to be fixed.
    9 Jun 2012, 10:13 AM Reply Like
  • Is the economy or job picture better now than in January 2009?

    No.

    If I am wrong then please prove it WITHOUT assigning blame to Bush.

    (This is the quandary that vexes "progressives")
    9 Jun 2012, 10:57 AM Reply Like
  • ACTUALLY IT IS Wayy better in january 2009 we lost 750,000 Jobs that month so what planet are you on seriously
    9 Jun 2012, 07:02 PM Reply Like
  • I live on the planet where the unemployment rate is over 14.8% (U6).

    During the Bush years that unemployment rate was 7.3%.

    Thanks President Obama...for nothing.
    9 Jun 2012, 07:09 PM Reply Like
  • The only problem with "losing" 600K government jobs is that we haven't lost 2MM government jobs!!! Which is probably about what is needed!!!

    It doesn't really bother me that he slipped and made a mistake saying the private sector is doing fine. But what is very telling is that he views the fact that some states have acted financially responsibly as being the problem.

    And if the President was really paying attention, when he speaks of the government cuts - he'd point out that a decent percentage of them are done to keep paying outsized pensions and benefits to the public unions. But I guess that doesn't play to the "base".
    9 Jun 2012, 04:55 PM Reply Like
  • Yep.

    And remember...

    Every government "job" lost is another several hundred thousand dollars that people get to keep and spend as they choose.

    Now THAT is TRUE stimulus.
    9 Jun 2012, 07:11 PM Reply Like
  • So tax rates for last 12 years have been low yet incomes havent risen and obama in his 3 years has generated more jobs than bush did in his 8
    10 Jun 2012, 03:25 AM Reply Like
  • Obama has only generated jobs overseas (through his partnership with Chief White House Jobs Exporter Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE).

    Obama has NEVER had to make payroll in his life, has NEVER been an entrepreneur, has NEVER embraced capitalism and is on record bad mouthing free enterprise.

    Incomes haven't risen because of the expansion of government bureaucracy and the job destruction policies of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and, of course, Mr. Hussein.

    Bush was a better president than Barry O. There is no proof otherwise.
    10 Jun 2012, 04:25 AM Reply Like
  • I don't believe that tax rates are low - what is low are taxes paid. We have a tax code that is bought and paid for.

    And I'd say that both Bush and Obama are mediocre Presidents.

    What we need is leadership. We have to fix Social Security - the retirement part is actually fairly "easy", it just requires making choices. The disability part will be tougher politically because cuts and reforms will be called "hateful", etc etc.

    We have to fix the tax code - so that there aren't things like carried interest - totally tax sheltered vehicles - benefits for companies doing various things that don't benefit the USA, etc etc.

    We have to totally reorganize and downsize our federal bureaucracy. And we have to adjust downward compensation for government employees and the politicians. Its public service - service implies sacrifice. Politicians and their direct staffs should NEVER receive pensions or lifetime benefits. Government employees should be responsible for their own retirement plans results - whether its 401K or union managed pensions.

    Government bureaucracy should be focused on regulation of food, medicine, water, air, ground. That means that a lot of rollbacks of current regulations that simply add costs to business (and reward certain groups and people).

    Then we can tackle the really tough item - health care.

    Until we get some leadership with a backbone and a brain we are just going to continue to stagnate as a country - which is an apt summary of the past 12 years IMO. Not a nice thing to say or admit, but others are catching up with us and thats just the simple truth.
    15 Jun 2012, 11:33 AM Reply Like
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