Cozy press conferences won't boost GDP

Most of us have suffered in the past several years, whether we have lost jobs or have watched friends and family members lose their income. We have seen innumerable small businesses fold in the brutal environment of this ongoing recession. And most of us have begun to question the actions this administration has taken to address the problem.

Last week, White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked to align Plouffe's comments on jobs with the president's attitude on the importance of job creation. In a response that seemed to reinforce Plouffe's statement, Carney replied: "Most people do not sit around the kitchen table and analyze GDP and unemployment numbers. They talk about how they feel, their own economic situation . . . whether they're making their house payments."

Does Carney — does the entire administration — realize that it usually requires a job to make a house payment? Do they realize that until unemployment gets down to, oh, say, Bush-era numbers, Americans are going to remain worried?

Even after all these years, it's still the economy, stupid.