The GOP’s Empty Pitch to the Unemployed

Last week, the city council of Camden, New Jersey announced that it is hiring 400 new police officers by the end of the year. Within a few days, 1,200 people had applied for the openings

That’s in the nation’s second most dangerous city.

People need work — and they’re willing to put themselves through a grueling training period to land a job.

Job growth in America has been lackluster. This summer has seen month after month of anemic employment growth. The national unemployment rate is stuck at a dismal 8.3 percent; the real unemployment rate is over 17 percent.

If you’re looking for someone to blame, look no further than Republican lawmakers. They have routinely worked to make the jobs crisis worse.

Earlier this year, the GOP supported reducing unemployment benefits from 99 weeks to 73 weeks. Some party members even went on record to bring it even lower.

And last month, Senate Republicans killed the Bring Jobs Home Act, which would have ended tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and rewarded firms that bring positions back home.

Outside of killing any legislation that could ameliorate the unemployment crisis, Republicans have had very little to offer in way of their own policy solutions. Instead, they’re single-mindedly pushing for tax breaks for their corporate buddies and finding new ways to shift the tax burden onto working and middle-class Americans.

The GOP’s record is as embarrassing as it is revolting. Republicans should be ashamed of themselves. Yet they’re actually trying to pitch themselves as a friend of the jobless. A key message from the Romney camp is that this election is a referendum on the President — that Obama promised to revive the economy, failed, and now needs to be kicked out of office.

But while GOP rhetoric promises new opportunity, their lawmaking does the exact opposite. Given that contradiction, it’s hard to see the GOP’s pro-jobs pitch as anything but vapid politicking. People are unemployed because of Republican policies — as GOP lawmakers continue to undermine efforts to revive the job market. And every month, GOP reps use the monthly jobs figures to bash Democrats. It’s shameless.

Come November, let’s send the Republicans a message that failing to help the unemployed will put them out of work as well.

And be sure to join our new effort, Bee Mad @ the GOP!