The President + the Private Sector | What Barack Obama Actually Thinks

What a bunch of numbskulls. Do we have to do everything?

I keep waiting for someone in the so-called "Beltway Press" to point out what the President actually said about the performance and condition of the private sector in his press conference last Friday. 

But no. They're playing out the ridiculous "gaffe" narrative, aren't they… 

Knuckleheads. 7th graders could do the job you're doing now.

The President (2nd paragraph of opening remarks): Today, we’re fighting back from the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression.  After losing jobs for 25 months in a row, our businesses have now created jobs for 27 months in a row -- 4.3 million new jobs in all.  The fact is job growth in this recovery has been stronger than in the one following the last recession a decade ago.  But the hole we have to fill is much deeper and the global aftershocks are much greater.  That’s why we've got to keep on pressing with actions that further strengthen the economy.

(12th paragraph of opening remarks): Keep in mind that the private sector has been hiring at a solid pace over the last 27 months.  But one of the biggest weaknesses has been state and local governments, which have laid off 450,000 Americans.  These are teachers and cops and firefighters.  Congress should pass a bill putting them back to work right now, giving help to the states so that those layoffs are not occurring.

(15th paragraph of opening remarks): Instead of just talking a good game about job creators, Congress should give the small business owners that actually create most of the new jobs in America a tax break for hiring more workers.

Caren Bohan: Blah, blah, blah, European debt crisis. Blah, blah, And finally, you talked about  a number of ideas that you've already put forth to shield the American economy. Do you plan to give a speech or lay out additional ideas now the crisis is really escalating?

The President (9th and 10th paragraphs of response to Ms. Bohan): …And the most important thing I think we can do is make sure that we continue to have a strong, robust recovery.  So the steps that I've outlined are the ones that are needed.  We've got a couple of sectors in our economy that are still weak.  Overall, the private sector has been doing a good job creating jobs.  We've seen record profits in the corporate sector.

The big challenge we have in our economy right now is state and local government hiring has been going in the wrong direction.  You've seen teacher layoffs, police officers, cops, firefighters being laid off.  And the other sector that's still weak has been the construction industry.  Those two areas we've directly addressed with our jobs plan.  The problem is that it requires Congress to take action, and we're going to keep pushing them to see if they can move in that direction.

Jackie Calmes: What about the Republicans saying that you’re blaming the Europeans for the failures of your own policies?

The President:  The truth of the matter is that, as I said, we’ve created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months, over 800,000 just this year alone.  The private sector is doing fine. Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government -- oftentimes, cuts initiated by governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government and who don’t have the same kind of flexibility as the federal government in dealing with fewer revenues coming in.  

And so, if Republicans want to be helpful, if they really want to move forward and put people back to work, what they should be thinking about is, how do we help state and local governments and how do we help the construction industry.  Because the recipes that they’re promoting are basically the kinds of policies that would add weakness to the economy, would result in further layoffs, would not provide relief in the housing market, and would result, I think most economists estimate, in lower growth and fewer jobs, not more. 

Was that so hard? 

Ten seconds into his remarks the President affirms our businesses for reversing a 25-month trend of job cuts and creating jobs for 27 months in a row — 4.3 million jobs in all. He credits businesses with generating stronger job growth in this recovery than the much shallower recession a decade ago. He doesn't take credit for this; he gives credit to "our businesses."

A few minutes later, the President reminds us that the private sector has been hiring at a solid pace over the last 27 months.

Another minute passes and the President says Congress should stop talking about job creators and give the business owners who actually create most of the new jobs in America a tax break for their trouble.

A few minutes later, part of the President's answer a question from Caren Bohan is: "Overall, the private sector has been doing a good job creating jobs. We've seen record profits in the corporate sector."

When Jackie Calmes asks a followup question, the President reiterates that we created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months, over 800,000 just this year alone and that the private sector is doing fine  compared with state and local governments that are hemorrhaging jobs at an alarming pace and are powerless to do much about that unless the federal government acts.

And there you have it. The President said the private sector should get full credit for creating lots of jobs. He said — five times in 29 minutes by my count — that private sector businesses are more than pulling their weight. And he said Congress is sitting on its hands, refusing to step up for reasons that boggle the mind.

The President thinks the private sector is doing well in job creation. Does Governor Romney think they are not? Do Congressmen Boehner and Cantor and Senator McConnell think the private sector is failing America? I'm hard pressed to see how that's not what they're saying…unless you want to try to convince me they are simply playing the fool; pretending the President said what he clearly did not say. You don't want me to believe those good men are clowns, do you?

Speaking of clowns: Why am I up writing about this at 11 o'clock after a pretty stiff day of writing about things people actually pay me to write about? Where are the people who are supposed to keep the record straight about what leaders and would-be leaders say and do not say? Are there no honest brokers of truth in the press? Has this whole enterprise devolved into lunchroom gossip?

Here's the transcript of the President's remarks and the Q+A that followed.

Here's a link to download the video.

Here's a link to download the audio. 

And here's me, going to bed grouchy.