Can President Obama win re-election if unemployment goes back up to nine percent?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Unemployment could be headed back up to 9% again - not what President Obama wants to hear as he faces re-election.
Gallup reports that the unemployment rate in mid-February stood at 9% - up from 8.3% in mid-January.
Gallup's monthly report serves as a preliminary estimate of what the U.S. government will report next week.
The report also found 10% of U.S. employees are working part-time, but want full-time work.
And they put underemployment at 19% - up significantly from just a month ago.
While the Obama administration was quick to trumpet a lower unemployment rate of 8.3% in January, others were already warning about a gloomy jobless picture.
The congressional budget office predicted last fall that unemployment would remain close to 9% until the end of 2012, and now they say unemployment will stay above 8% well into 2014.
Meanwhile there are other signs that the economy is not out of the woods by a long shot.
Gas prices are already at their highest levels ever for this time of year - and they're headed higher. In Florida, some drivers are already paying almost $6 a gallon.
Government job cuts could place a further damper on the economy with the government being the largest employer in the country.
Lastly, while manufacturing revs up and stocks rally, just remember this:
It only takes one shock to set the economy back. Last year we had lots - from the Arab spring revolutions to Japan's earthquake and Europe's debt crisis.
Can you say Iran?
Here’s my question to you: Can President Obama win re-election if unemployment goes back up to 9%?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Rick Santorum said Satan is attacking America. Is he right?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The moral of the story is: If you think you’ll ever run for president of the United States, watch your mouth.
President Obama should be sending Rick Santorum flowers.
The Republican presidential candidate is under fire for a 2008 speech in which he said Satan is attacking the great institutions of America.
Speaking to students at Ave Maria University in Florida, Santorum said that "Satan has set his sights on the United States of America."
He described a "spiritual war" and asked, "If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?" He suggested it was natural for the "father of lies" to go after a good, decent, powerful and influential country.
Fast forward four years and instead of acknowledging that the dialogue might have been a bit extreme, Santorum is digging in his heels.
He's defending his comments, saying he's a person of faith who believes in good and evil.
Santorum insists he is going to stay on message and talk about the things Americans want to talk about, such as economic recovery. He says his views on Satan are "not relevant" to what's being discussed today. Some people might disagree.
And when you want to be president, it's all fair game.
Santorum is leading the Republican field in several national polls. He's virtually tied with Mitt Romney in Romney's home state of Michigan.
We'll see if at tonight's debate Santorum's thoughts on Satan come back to bite him.
Here’s my question to you: Rick Santorum said Satan is attacking America. Is he right?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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