Critics Hit Romney Job-Creation Record: Cite Workers That Left Massachusetts

The Washington Times ^ | February 26, 2012 | Seth McLaughlin

[Steelfish]

Critics Hit Romney Job-Creation Record Cite Workers That Left Massachusetts By Seth McLaughlin

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Mitt Romney is fighting for votes in economically struggling Michigan by pointing to his job-creation record in Massachusetts for proof he can jump-start bad economies — but the drop in unemployment during his time as governor may be a result more of willing workers fleeing the state than from his own ability to spawn jobs.

In fact, Massachusetts had the weakest employment growth of any state from 2002 to 2006 except for Mississippi and Louisiana, which suffered the brunt of Hurricane Katrina, and Michigan itself, which was buffeted by the auto industry’s woes.

“The fact the unemployment rate went down had nothing to do with the policies of his administration,” said professor Andrew M. Sum, director of the center for labor market studies at Northeastern University in Boston. “We had one of the three worst job-creation rates in the country under his administration. The unemployment rate largely went down for one reason, because people withdrew from the labor force and left the state.”

Michigan Republicans go to the polls Tuesday along with voters in Arizona, and the economy remains at the top of the list of issues for Republican voters nationwide.

Mr. Romney in particular is basing his campaign appeal on his message of economic competence, highlighting his time at the helm of Bain Capital and the one term he served as governor as critical experience that will translate over to the White House.

[freemarketsfreeminds]

Why isn’t the MSM fact checking Romney’s claims like they do everyone else’s? Ridiculous.

[ballplayer]

Now you really Know the answer to that dont you?
Its a little late for them to be going after the Chosen one isnt it? I guess they want to cover their asses,so they can say sure we Covered Romneys record as Gov. of Mass.

[freemarketsfreeminds]

I know the answer, but maybe some don’t. It’s always helpful to remind people that we’ll never ever get basic fairness from the MSM. I watched 20 minutes of CNN this morning, and Suzanne Malveaux informed me that Republicans were wrong to criticize Obama`s apology to Afghanistan, Republicans have no solutions to high gas prices, and tapping emergency oil reserves might be a good thing. Imagine how lucky I felt to have CNN telling me what was happening, and how to feel about it.