The Wisdom of Keeping Democrats in Office

The Labor Department just released its monthly jobs figures. They’re more depressing than usual. The economy only added 96,000 positions in August.

Do we need any more proof that it’s imperative Congress take concerted action right away to boost employment and end this job crisis?

Democrats certainly support such a move. At their nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, many of the speakers focused heavily on how the President plans to put Americans back to work should he win a second term.

Bill Clinton gave a ringing endorsement of Obama and reminded the millions watching that the Republican agenda will only benefit a select few. The former president smartly highlighted the fact that the current Executive-in-Chief had attempted to make in-roads with Republicans to pass jobs legislation. But the GOP had rebuffed him every time. And they’ve failed to come up with any job policies of their own.

For their part, Republicans certainly highlighted the unemployment crisis at their convention too, but chiefly as a means of clubbing Obama and scoring easy political points. Clint Eastwood bluntly called the national joblessness figures a “national disgrace.“ But neither he nor any other big-name speaker offered serious policy prescriptions for spurring employment. They just went negative.

Focusing on jobs is probably a smart strategy for the GOP. But there is still no good reason to believe they’ll actually put into place job-creating policies if they win in November.

Take this profile of Sonia Street, a Charlotte woman who’s been struggling with unemployment. Republican members of North Carolina’s General Assembly recently pushed through cuts in unemployment benefits for thousands of state residents, pushing Sonia and her family to financial ruin.

Come November, let’s remember which party is actually trying to improve the employment situation in this country and which one has left workers out in the cold. Be sure to join our new effort: Bee Mad @ the GOP! We’ve committed ourselves to pointing out the many ways that Republicans are failing working Americans.