Creating jobs must be Washington’s top priority

The jobs report, issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed better than expected job growth in July. There were 117,000 jobs added, higher than the 85,000 that economists were expecting, but still far lower than necessary to significantly bring down the nation's high unemployment rate. Unemployment went from 9.2 percent in June to 9.1 percent in July.

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said in a statement, “Today's dismal jobs report is a far cry from the hope and change that President Obama promised on the campaign trail. ... Despite these clear and abundant signs that our economy is floundering, President Obama has still failed to deliver a concrete plan to create jobs and promote growth. This lack of leadership is inexcusable and driving our economy toward decline.”

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney also blamed Obama for slow job growth: “Today's unemployment report represents the 30th straight month that the jobless rate has been above 8 percent. The administration promised with their $800 billion stimulus that they would keep unemployment below that number. When you see what this president has done to the economy in just three years, you know why America doesn't want to find out what he can do in eight.”

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) mentioned the large number of donors to Obama's 2012 political campaign in a jab on his economic policies.

Obama echoed this message in Saturday’s address, saying that the top priority for Washington must be helping Americans find jobs and building a sense of economic security for middle class families.

Just as Democrats and Republicans finally came together to resolve the debt ceiling impasse, the president said the two parties must come together once more to tackle unemployment.

“We’ve got to put politics aside to get some things done,” Obama said. “That’s what the American people expect of us.”

As he has said numerous times in recent months, the president stressed that there are immediate steps that Congress can take when it returns to the capital to boost job creation, including extending tax cuts for middle-class families, giving tax credit to companies that hire veterans and getting rid of red tape that can hold back entrepreneurs.

Obama also called on lawmakers to pass the pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama – deals that he said would not only help put people to work, but also put the words “Made in America” on products sold around the world.

The president maintained that each of these steps shares the support of both Democrats and Republicans.

“So I’m going to keep calling on both parties in Congress to put aside their differences and send these bills to my desk so I can sign them right away,” he said. “After all, both parties share power.”

Obama added, “Moving our economy and our country forward is not a Democratic or a Republican responsibility; it is our responsibility as Americans. That’s the spirit we need in Washington right now.