Last week it was reported that a record 1.2 million Americans left the labor force in January alone. At today’s daily press briefing, Jay Carney was asked if the White House might be concerned about the unemployment rate rising again once those people inevitably start looking for work again. Of course, Carney pretty much dodged the question. Instead, he incredibly tried to spin the shrinking labor force as a long-term “economic good” – citing cases where young workers go back to school in lieu of finding a job as an example (as if that would really account for 1.2 million people just last month).
His answer reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Costanza tried to impress his date by pointing out the positive aspects of the word “manure”. In other words, it was pathetic.
The clip below goes a little past the headline quote, because I also wanted to leave in the part where Carney pulls out the private sectors job growth chart that we should all understand by now is misleading at best. The White House will surely be whipping that baby out every chance they get between now and November, regardless of what’s actually happening out here in the real world.
Hat tip: @RBPundit.
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