Top Economist: Job Creation Made Hard By Obama

The real unemployment number is far worse than what the government is reporting and the Obama Administration is all wrong in its approach to putting people back to work, argues noted economist Robert Samuelson.

While Obama inherited a bad economy, his missteps have made the situation worse, Samuelson says.

From a recent column:

Obama can't be fairly blamed for most job losses, which stemmed from a crisis predating his election. But he has made a bad situation somewhat worse. His unwillingness to advance trade agreements (notably, with Colombia and South Korea) has hurt exports. The hostility to oil and gas drilling penalizes one source of domestic investment spending. More important, the decision to press controversial proposals (health care, climate change) was bound to increase uncertainty and undermine confidence. Some firms are postponing spending projects "until there is more clarity," Zandi notes. Others are put off by anti-business rhetoric.

The recovery's vigor will determine whether unemployment declines rapidly or stays stubbornly high, and the recovery's vigor depends heavily on private business. Obama declines to recognize conflicts among goals. Choices were made -- and jobs weren't always Job One.

Read the full column at the link below:

Job Creation Made Hard