LETTER: Obama is helping country recover

On Friday, the U.S. Labor Department released some very good economic news. In January, 243,000 net jobs were created, and the national unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent. While this was great news for the country, it was terrible news for Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and John Beohner. These men are counting on the economy getting worse, not better. The fact that it is getting stronger takes away one of their arguments for dumping President Obama in 2012. The 23 consecutive months of positive job growth cannot be overlooked no matter how much some politicians would like.

General Motors has become the No. 1 car company in the world, but these same politicians will not acknowledge the president's role in saving the automobile industry and many other industries that provide parts and other services for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul and Beohner are either in denial or they just cannot overcome their tendency to obstruct everything that President Obama attempts to do.

The one area of the economy that is still struggling to overcome its problems is the housing industry. The foreclosure crisis is dire for many homeowners, but if Mitt Romney was charged with helping the housing industry recover, his solution is to let the foreclosures bottom out, and then allow investors to buy the homes and rent them to the former owners. That sounds like the "vulture capitalist" label that has been applied to Romney for his Bain Capital activities.

The president unveiled a new policy initiative on Friday to help Iraq and Afghanistan veterans find jobs as firefighters and policemen. It will require about $5 billion to $6 billion to fund the program. Does anyone want to take odds on whether Congress will provide the funding?

Moses Mims

Aiken