When the economy does well, it’s because President Obama prevented “the second Great Depression.” When it does poorly, it’s still President Bush’s fault. This was the message from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, who told reporters today that Congress should rubberstamp Obama’s economic agenda.
FOX News’ Ed Henry hit Carney with a tough question about today’s jobs number:
Carney responded by…blaming George W. Bush.
“”There is a long term unemployment issue here that is a serious problem,” he said, alluding to the job losses of late 2008 and early 2009, immediately after the financial crisis. “Let’s step back and review the facts: 21 months now straight of private job growth. This comes after 8 million jobs lost in a recession that was in full bloom when this president was sworn into office.”
Carney said that Obama has achieved historic success in saving the economy: “[T]he record since then has been one of stopping the bleeding, arresting the free-fall of our economy, preventing the second Great Depression in American history, and putting us back on a course towards economic growth and job creation.”
Carney did allow that the 3 million jobs created since employment reached its nadir are “not nearly enough when you lost 8 million jobs in a terrible recession.”
