Good Jobs Data Force GOP Pivot (The Hill)

One of the strongest points in the Republican court this election year is the continued stress of our economic environment. So, how should the GOP respond to a recovering economy? Very cautiously, it turns out. When the government reported that employers added 257,000 private-sector jobs in January, Republicans trod carefully. Party leaders, including the Republican presidential front-runner, Mitt Romney, applauded the jump in job creation while uniting around the message that America “can do better.” Other party leaders, including Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) jumped on the “better” bandwagon, while expressing backhanded enthusiasm over the new numbers. ““We ought to embrace it, but we ought to always set the bar higher and say we can do better. And we can do better,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).