Job Data Better Than Expected: GOP Slams Obama?

More proof that the Republican party has lost its collective mind: Republicans Slam Obama Over Jobs Figures

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-slam-obama-over-jobs-figures-135129109.html

Excuse me, I need to go buy an oxygen tank because I'm laughing too hard. Seriously? Republicans are criticizing Obama because the economy added 117,000 jobs, despite the looming debt crisis. Maybe it's the unemployment rate, which held steady at 9.1%? But of course, the entire U.S. population knows that the unemployment is inaccurate - the truer figure (if you include under-employment) is closer to 22% if you look at this data.

The government also revised data upward for the previous two months. I wouldn't be surprised if this was perhaps a political tactic designed to make us look better in light of the tumble our global reputation took after the debt crisis, but at the same time I respect the desire of the Obama administration to try to save face.

The problem is that we shouldn't need to save face. The debt crisis could be easily avoided, the FAA issue is yet to be completely resolved, and there are solutions to the consumption-focused economy we've driven ourselves headlong into.

This is my favorite quote:

"Today's unemployment report is more proof that all of the Washington spending, taxing, and regulating is devastating our economy," said Republican House Speaker John Boehner, the number-three US elected official.

Where's that O2 tank again? Tax cuts and deregulation have historically been what has tanked the economy - recessions in '91 followed the Bush I tax cuts, and recessions in '01 and '07 followed Bush II tax cuts, while the vast majority of the 90s (under Clinton) saw the biggest growth in U.S. history.

If the GOP has any desire to actually win the hearts of the U.S. public and win back the White House, they are going to have to do better than criticizing Obama every time the man breathes. They are going to have to do better than throwing a tantrum, whether the news is negative OR positive.

If the GOP wants power back, then they have to start listening to those who have the solutions that will get us back to being the strongest economy in the world. Start with a progressive consumption tax, continue with value-added taxes, and end with investing in the human potential of the people that elected them to office.

If, on the other hand, the GOP desires to hold on more to out-dated ideology, I have no doubt the U.S. public will be happy to hold a funeral, laughing all the while at the absurdity of current GOP logic.