Weekend Talker: Do Your Leaders Have the Right Ideas on Jobs?

Only 54,000 jobs were created nationwide in May, a big soft spot in what had been a period of modest gains. In Wisconsin, growth through April (the most recent numbers available) continued, with widespread reduction of the unemployment rate and job creation across many metro areas. 

Just as in 1992, when Bill Clinton took the White House, "It's the economy, stupid." Are you laying blame or cheering politicians for the current job situation?

When President Barack Obama took office, federal stimulus money and government spending were seen as the ways to boost job creation and bring the nation out of the recession. There has been some improvement since he took office, but there's also been a lot of backlash from Republicans, who stormed into office in November.

National Public Radio ran a story Friday wondering whether the unemployment numbers could cost Obama his job.

The jobs created were far below forecasts, NPR reported, and the "housing market hardly has a pulse." NPR says Obama is facing increasing pressure from some Democrats to refocus on job creation, while others are pushing to reduce debt. 

Andrew Levison, an expert on the politics of jobs, told NPR that the public believes job creation must come from the private sector, not the government, and, NPR reported, that people believe "jobs created through government aren't really jobs at all, but akin to welfare."

CBS reported Friday that the disappointing jobs report gave Republicans ample fodder to criticize Democrats. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the state of the economy is "simply inexcusable," CBS reported. And other Republicans are pointing out that criticisms of political leadership on job creation is based on more than this one report, CBS reported. 

"The national unemployment has remained above 8 percent for 28 consecutive months, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee is making sure voters in key 2012 states are aware of that," CBS reported.

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker has made touting job creation and business expansion in the area. Yet and (nationally and locally) are seeing smaller budgets, and that can mean cutting positions.