(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons )

 

BY JIM FLINK

 

ANCHOR NEVILLE MILLER


Headwinds or tailwinds.  When it comes the economy, President Barack Obama says, being in the right spot could well dictate the future of economic recovery.
The Wall Street Journal picked up the president’s press conference today, where he challenged Congress to get out front.

“There are steps we can take right now to put more people bakc to work.  They’re not just my ideas, they’re not just Democratic ideas.  They’re ideas that indepdendent, non-partisan economists elieve can make a real difference in the economy.”

The president says, Congress should get on board creating jobs, including government jobs, and stop bickering along partisan lines.
CBS News notes, the president pointed to Europe as an example.

“Mr. Obama said the United States should learn from the experiences of Europe, where many countries are in a downward spiral because they are cutting spending too quickly and interest rates rise as investors see that it will be harder for countries to pay down their debts.”

Losses in the government sector which has shed 450,000 jobs.
MSNBC points out, that number is huge, when compared to what the private sector is adding back.

“Losses of government jobs have been a major factor in lackluster hiring reports in recent months; the most recent monthly jobs report, released last Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicated that the economy added only 69,000 jobs last month -- a number well beneath expectations. A major factor in the slowed pace of hiring, reports had indicated, were layoffs associated with government spending.”

And if that “headwinds” discussion sounds famliar, the GOP has picked up and run with it.
Just this week, the GOP released a “headwinds” ad .

And the New York Daily News reports, blaming the Republicans for the sluggish economy may not work, particularly as a close re-election bid draws nigh.

“The President’s re-election bid has taken several recent body blows: the latest economic statistics revealed anemic jobs growth; the Democrats lost the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall vote; and Mitt Romney raised more money than Obama last month.  National polls have showed that the race has moved into a dead-heat — and Obama may have provided Romney’s campaign with a sound bite worthy of an attack ad.”