So be it? Speaker Boehner ... where ARE the jobs?

  

   When Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) falsely claimed that 200,000 new federal government jobs have been added during the Obama Administration (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there have been 58,000 new federal government jobs added during the Obama Administration), his reaction when asked about the prospect of many of those people losing their jobs was “So be it.”  So be it?  The Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in November 2010 in an electoral rout, winning 63 congressional seats (the biggest gain by any party since 1938) mainly because they successfully blamed the Democrats in general and President Obama in particular for massive job losses and for not creating jobs.  Jobs, jobs, JOBS … that’s what Republicans promised the American people during the campaign.  That message resonated with the electorate and as a result the Republicans not only gained control of the House, they were able to gain 6 seats in the Senate, leaving the Democrats clinging to a 6 seat advantage.  So when the newly anointed Speaker of the House had such a laissez faire reaction to the prospect of tens of thousands of Americans losing their jobs, more than a few eye brows were raised.  After all, the election WAS about job, jobs, JOBS, right?
   Boehner in the House and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are under the microscope when it comes to job creation.  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has created a website, whenarethejobs.com, which has kept a running clock on the number of jobs created since Boehner took possession of the Speaker’s gavel from former Speaker and now House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.  So far, there has not been ONE net job created in the 42 days and counting since the Republicans have controlled the House. 
   To be fair, Speaker Boehner appears to be a reasonable and likable guy.  He probably is most famous for wearing his emotions on his sleeve and crying at the drop of a hat.  He is so famous for a sudden case of the weepies that when former President George H.W. Bush was being interviewed by his granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager for "TheToday Show" and began crying when reading letters that he had written to his wife during World War II, former First Lady Barbara Bush quipped, “you could be Speaker of the House.”  I won’t begrudge a guy for getting emotional in his advancing age (I can be a monstrous crybaby, too, at times).  There is something to be admired about that.  He cried the night of the election, he cried throughout an interview with Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes"; heck … he even got teary eyed when President Obama acknowledged him as Speaker of the House during the State of the Union address (even I wouldn’t have cried THAT much).  Boehner does have some accomplishments to be proud of.  He came from humble beginnings, worked his way through college and became a self-made millionaire as a result of his efforts.  He was featured on the cover of the November 15, 2010 issue of TIME Magazine and in the feature story, his life story was nicely depicted.  Bully for him.
   However, Speaker Boehner has an albatross around his neck now because of the campaign promises made.  The electorate is expecting results.  The electorate is expecting JOBS.  One does wonder how high job creation is on the Republican agenda, though.  The first significant legislation from the new Congress was to vote to repeal Health Care Reform.  It is difficult to understand how repealing that legislation would create jobs.  The American people are waiting anxiously to see a credible Republican proposal that will create jobs.  So far, no dice.
   Speaker Boehner … where ARE the jobs?  So be it.

   Peace, peace in the Middle East.

Craig Riggins

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