New ad attacks Bush on jobs

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Democrats will begin airing a new television ad today that attacks President Bush on the economy as new employment numbers showed sluggish job growth last month.

"Millions of good jobs lost to plant closures and outsourcing. Yet President Bush protects tax breaks favoring corporations that move their headquarters overseas," an announcer says in the ad paid for by the Democratic National Committee.

The ad rollout -- which had already been planned for yesterday -- coincided with yesterday's release of job numbers by the Department of Labor, showing that the U.S. economy added 32,000 jobs in July, far short of the more than 200,000 new jobs that had been expected.

Democrats jumped on the new numbers, blaming Mr. Bush and his tax cuts for the sluggishness.

"The President keeps saying we've turned the corner," Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said in a statement. "But unfortunately, today's job numbers further demonstrate that our economy may be taking a U-turn instead."

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland criticized Mr. Bush for claiming "that his tax cuts would be an economic cure-all."

"But the medicine he prescribed has led to a stagnant job market, crushing budget deficits, and weak wage growth," he said.

Republicans were largely silent on the job numbers.

But House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, said the new "statistics show that our economy is moving in the right direction, but also there is more work to be done."

"This month's economic numbers highlight the need for Congress to act to prevent snap-back tax hikes on the American people," Mr. DeLay said. "We must make the Bush tax cuts permanent, starting with the child tax credit, marriage-penalty relief, and the expansion of the 10 percent tax bracket."