Crossroads GPS "Excuses"

The New York Times reports on the politics of the unemployment rate:

Economists have scaled back their expectations for the rest of the year and are now forecasting continued sluggishness.

“This economy has no forward momentum and little help from monetary or fiscal policy,” said Kathy Bostjancic, director of macroeconomic analysis for the Conference Board. “As if that were not enough, ill winds are blowing in from both a contracting Europe and slowing growth in emerging markets.”

Friday’s report also put a chill on financial markets, sending stocks sharply lower on both sides of the Atlantic.

At a campaign stop in Poland, Ohio, on Friday, Mr. Obama urged voters to take the long view, and to be mindful of the economic state he inherited.

“I want to get back to a time when middle-class families and those working to get into the middle class have some basic security,” he said. “We’ve got to deal with what’s been happening over the last decade, the last 15 years.”

On the same day, Crossroads GPS anticipated the president's reaction with a $25 million ad buy: