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In light of a third consecutive month in which the economy has lost jobs, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) said the country “cannot afford the Democrats.” The Labor Department announced Friday that the unemployment rate had jumped to 5.1 percent after employers cut 80,000 jobs in March. McCain stated that the employment report is a “stark reminder of the economic challenges confronting families today.” He blasted Democrats for wanting to pursue an “anti-growth agenda,” adding that “Washington must not be an obstacle to economic growth and robust job creation.” McCain has proposed instead cutting taxes, easing the regulatory burden on businesses and opening foreign markets to U.S. goods. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), who remains in a tight race with Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) for the Democratic nomination, asserted that it was Republican policies that got the economy into its current situation. “It’s time the President and John McCain recognize the r-word: reality,” Clinton stated. “Our economy is in serious trouble and unless we act swiftly we could be sliding into a deep and painful recession.” The former first lady added that the jobs report shows that “our economy is spiraling downward” and called for aggressive action. “For more than a year I have been like Paulette Revere, calling for action to keep the problems from our housing market from spilling over into our economy,” she said. “After a year of denial and half-measures it is time for this administration to put ideology aside and get serious about stemming this crisis.” |
