The U.S. created 227,000 jobs in the month of February. Once again, anytime we see job creation as opposed to job losses, it is a good thing. People are finding work and going about the business of making their way through these difficult times, and it is right that we recognize any betterment in terms of the job market. Now for some qualifying news:

Unemployment remains at 8.3% and has been above 8% for three years now. Almost 45% of those unemployed have collected benefits for longer than at any time in U.S. history. Approximately 13 million Americans are still without work and we have lost 2 million tangible and “countable” jobs since 2007. The number of jobs added is now trending down and those jobs are mainly service sector (temporary) positions and lower paying, which is never a very good sign for long-term growth. Consequently, when you hold up these numbers against a devastating foreclosure rate and skyrocketing gas prices/inflation, it’s hard to jump that “recovery” train with any real enthusiasm.

Look, I have said and will say again, do not be lulled into the “new norm” where 7.5% unemployment will somehow be  viewed as “acceptable”, and $4.25 gasoline along a $6.50 box of corn flakes are our economic future. By and large this may very well be our short-term future based on inflationary trending numbers, but our actions this year will determine whether that will be $5.75 gasoline and $7.00 Cheerios moving forward.

Free market economic recovery after a down turn comes in many forms and at varying degrees of speed. It can be affected only at certain times by the policies of a representative government. That is to say there is usually a very small window for politics to have an effect on free market economics. We must also take into account that there will always be a certain amount of what I like to call “natural” recovery, that being the strength of the free market to advance in spite of every effort made by an incumbent Administration or Congress, (and which they will take credit for, you can be sure). With this in mind I submit to my readers that while it does my heart good that anyone benefits from any upswing in the economy, this particular Administration has been nothing but a hindrance to real recovery. Furthermore, until he is either removed from the WH by vote or term limit, President Barack Obama will continue to govern outside and around everything necessary to bring about that real recovery.