President George W. Bush said on Saturday the US economy was gaining momentum and cited a drop in the unemployment rate in 46 states, as he sparred with Democrats over whether life was getting better for ordinary Americans.
"Time and again, our economy has defied the gloomy predictions of pessimists," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "America has added more than 1.4 million new jobs since last August. ... Americans are earning more, and because of tax relief, they're keeping more of what they earn."
But Democrats responded by accusing Bush of failing to stem the export of jobs overseas.
"It's a shame when the White House's top economic adviser says outsourcing of American jobs is inevitable, or even that it benefits our economy," Rep. Nick Lampson of Texas said in the Democratic radio response. "Americans know our country gains when we export American goods - not American jobs."
Although Bush did not refer to Democrat John Kerry by name, his mention in the address of "pessimists" was clearly aimed at the Massachusetts senator, who is the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Bush in the November election.
Ads unveiled by the Bush campaign earlier this month branded Kerry an "economic pessimist," and Bush has hit that theme in recent speeches.
The depiction aims to neutralise Kerry's criticisms of Bush's handling of the economy. Kerry has repeatedly said that despite improved jobs figures lately, many families are still struggling. On Friday, Kerry sought to appeal to workers by proposing a phased-in $1.85 increase in the minimum wage to $7 an hour by 2007 - a plan he says is needed to help families pay their bills.
Kerry has also criticised Bush's tax cuts as unaffordable and has said he would roll them back on those making more than $200,000 a year and put the money into health care.
Bush seized on state-by-state jobs figures from the Labour Department's Bureau of Labour statistics. The numbers showed that the jobless rate fell in 46 US states in May compared to a year ago. In two states, the rate was unchanged, and in two others and the District of Columbia, the rate moved higher versus last year.
Democrats in the US House of Representatives this week proposed their "American Jobs Plan," similar to one by Kerry.
It would alter the tax code to remove incentives for moving jobs overseas, help prepare Americans for emerging technologies, and provide a tax credit for creation of US jobs.
Democrats hope the plan boosts the economy as well as their chances to win back control of the now narrowly Republican-led House.
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