Obama: Too Much 'On His Plate' To Tackle Jobs

“President Obama apparently has too much ‘on his plate’ to meet with his jobs council. But after yet another disappointing jobs report and the ‘worst economic recovery America has ever had,’ it’s clear the President should have spent more time focusing on creating jobs for the country, and less time trying to save his own job. On Day One, Mitt Romney will get to work to jumpstart our economy and put Americans back to work.” –Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

For Nearly All Of This Year, President Obama Has Had “A Lot On His Plate” And Could Not Meet With His Jobs Council:

“President Obama Is At Odds” With His Jobs Council And Has Not Met With The Council In Six Months. “President Barack Obama is at odds with some of his handpicked outside advisers on hot-button election topics such as regulations and corporate taxes. Many of the recommendations at issue stem from the president's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, a group of business and labor leaders with whom Mr. Obama hasn't met in six months.” (Carol Lee and John McKinnon, “Jobs Council Is Sidelined As President Courts Voters,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/19/12)

• On The Campaign Trail, President Obama “Has Been Campaigning Against” The Ideas Proposed By His Jobs Council.  “This week, the Obama campaign has focused on Mr. Romney's proposal to shift the U.S. to a ‘territorial’ tax system, where companies pay U.S. taxes on their domestic, rather than world-wide, income. Many members of the jobs council and three other of Mr. Obama's outside advisory groups, including his Simpson-Bowles fiscal commission, have made the same recommendation. Mr. Romney has championed their view on the campaign trail, while Mr. Obama has been campaigning against it.” (Carol Lee and John McKinnon, “Jobs Council Is Sidelined As President Courts Voters,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/19/12)

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: “There’s No Specific Reason, Except The President Has Obviously Got A Lot On His Plate.” "There’s no specific reason, except the president has obviously got a lot on his plate, but he continues to solicit and receive advice from numerous folks outside the administration about the economy about ideas that he can act on with Congress or administratively to help the economy grow and help create jobs,’ Carney said in the White House’s first on-the-record response to a POLITICO story noting the hiatus.” (Josh Gerstein, “White House: Obama’s Plate Too Full For Jobs Council,” Politico, 7/18/12)

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What Has Happened While President Obama Was Too Busy For His Jobs Council? The Nation’s Economy Has Fallen Into Another “Summer Slump”:

The U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics Reported This Morning That Jobless Claims Increased By 34,000 Last Week.  “U.S. jobless claims jumped 34,000 last week to 386,000, unwinding a sharp drop in the prior week, amid typical summertime fluctuations in auto-industry employment, the Labor Department reported Thursday.” (Jeffry Bartash, “U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Climb 34,000 To 386,000,” MarketWatch, 7/19/12)

CBS News: We Are Experiencing “The Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had.” CBS’ SCOTT PELLEY: “Good evening. This is the worst economic recovery America has ever had. We’d been looking for hopeful signs, but today the chairman of the Federal Reserve threw a cold splash of reality on those hopes.” (“CBS Evening News,” 7/17/12)

“The American Job Machine Has Jammed” And Has Settled Into A “Summer Slump For The Third Year In A Row.” “The American job machine has jammed. Again. The economy added only 80,000 jobs in June, the government said Friday, erasing any doubt that the United States is in a summer slump for the third year in a row.” (Paul Wiseman, “US Economy Adds 80,000 Jobs In Another Weak Month,” The Associated Press, 7/7/12)

“The Weakest Job-Adding Quarter In Two Years…” CNBC’s JOHN HARWOOD: “Just 80,000 jobs added in the month of June, Michelle. 8.2% unemployment rate, unchanged, 12.7 million unemployed people, also unchanged. That makes the second quarter the weakest job-adding quarter in two years, an average of 75,000 jobs added in the second quarter of this year.” (CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” 7/6/12)

But President Obama Has Found Time To Squeeze In Other Activities He Cares About – Golfing And Fundraising:

President Obama Has Attended 106 Political Fundraisers Since The Last Meeting Of His Jobs Council. (National Journal’s “Daybook,” 7/18/12)

President Obama Has Taken 10 Golf Trips Since The Last Meeting Of His Jobs Council. (National Journal’s “Daybook,” 7/18/12)