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Biden touts job efforts, GOP scoffs

E-mail|Link|Comments () Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor November 9, 2009 01:41 PM

Vice President Joe Biden heads to Michigan today to talk up the Obama administration's efforts to boost the economy.

He will meet with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to discuss jobs, which are in short supply in a state where the recession started earlier than much of the country and where the unemployment rate is still the nation's highest.

UPDATE: According to the press pool report, Biden told a Democratic fund-raiser that the stimulus package and other economic programs are "working," but "we've got a long way to go."

But Biden said at least Democrats "get it" and want to make investments in energy and infrastructure that will grow the economy in the long term, while Republicans are "betting on us to fail."

Echoing the president, Biden also said it's easy to forget "just how horrible things were back in January," according to the pool report.

"This was an economy built on a bubble. The rules were being made by the cowboys on Wall Street."

Biden is being greeted by a radio ad from the Republican National Committee. (Listen to it here.)

“Back in February the Obama administration promised the so-called stimulus would bring much-needed jobs to Michigan. Nine months later, 178,000 more Michiganders have lost their jobs bringing unemployment to 15.3 percent – the highest in the entire country, and our nation’s employment rate now exceeds 10 percent," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "More than anything the people of Michigan need jobs, yet Vice President Biden and Michigan Democrats Mark Schauer and Gary Peters are spending their time fundraising. It’s time for the Democrats to make their constituents a priority and start working to bring jobs back to Michigan.”

tags jobs, Joe Biden, Michael Steele, unemployment

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