Wolfeboro, New Hampshire (CNN) - A jobs report showing lukewarm hiring in June is a "kick in the gut" to American workers, presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney said in New Hampshire Friday.
"It's consistent with what I've heard as I've gone across the country and met with families in their homes, in cafes and restaurants and in break rooms," Romney said. "American families are struggling. There's a lot of misery in America today, and these numbers understate what people are feeling and the amount of pain which is occurring in middle class America."
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Romney made remarks and took some reporter questions at Bradley's Hardware in downtown Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, about a mile and a half from the Romney family's lakefront home. The candidate, along with his large extended family, has spent the last week there on vacation.
READ MORE: Republicans pin blame for flat jobs report on Obama
In his comments, Romney slammed President Barack Obama, his opponent for the White House, as not doing enough to foster growth and encourage employers to hire workers.
"The highest corporate tax rates in the world do not create jobs," Romney said. "Highest regulatory burdens in our nation's history - those do not create jobs. Trade policies that have not opened up new markets for American goods, particularly in Latin America, those don't create new jobs. Failing to effectively crack down on China for cheating and stealing American jobs, that has not helped."
"The president's policies have not gotten America working again, and the president's going to have to stand up and take responsibility for it," Romney continued.
Obama, who is traveling on a bus tour through the Rust Belt, was expected to react to Friday's jobs numbers at his first stop in Ohio. Romney mentioned the tour, asking, "How do you go across Pennsylvania and Ohio and not talk about being serious about creating jobs through manufacturing policies that make America more attractive for investment and growth?"
Romney said as president, he would use different strategies to help remedy the dire economic straits many Americans face.
"It doesn't have to be this way," Romney said. "The president doesn't have a plan. He hasn't proposed any new ideas to get the economy going. Just the same old ideas of the past that have failed. I have a plan. My plan calls for action that will get America working again and create good jobs, both near term and long term."
Romney emerged from his campaign break on July 4th to march in an Independence Day parade, but has otherwise held no public events. Romney's son Tagg accompanied his father to the hardware store for his statement.
Bradley's Hardware, which has stood on Railroad Avenue in Wolfeboro since 1950, is a family owned business that employs twelve people.
Answering a question from a reporter about taking a vacation during the heat of the campaign, Romney responded that he wanted more Americans to be able to take breaks.
"I'm delighted to be able to take a vacation with my family," Romney said. "I think all Americans appreciate the memories that they have with their children and their grandchildren. I hope that more Americans are able to take vacations, and if I'm president of the United States, I'm going to work very hard to make sure we have good jobs for all Americans who want good jobs, and as part of a good job the capacity to take a vacation now and then with their loved ones."
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this is not hard America !
Vote Romney for JOBS.
Vote Obama for more DEBT.
@reasonablebe: Unemployment was not at 10% when Obama was elected. Check your facts. Unemployment was between 7-7.5% in January 2009
wasn't unemployment 7.8% when obama was elected? romney might have a bad jobs record as gov, but he too also faced a recession when he took office. he actually had an upturn in job creation when obama can't have a positive upturn by the time november comes along since growth has never been great, and since it's basically stagnated.
Listen up Americans! Only Michelle Bachman and Sarah Palin can save our country and deliver us from evil.
Where were the jobs under Bush? Oh yeah, government doesn't create jobs, it's not his fault. Repugnacans are the biggest double talkers on the planet.
Vote for me and i will give you,
Dis – Dat and de other ding.
hey fred how many jobs was this country hemmorhaging at the end of the bush administration? try 750,000 per month
Can we get these debates going already!!!! I can't wait until all the BS is confronted in the spotlight b/c this daily vomit of this unchecked mess is getting old!!!!
The only jobs this man has ever created are in Asia. He and people like him are responsible for the loss of millions of jobs in the U.S. He became even more wealthy than he already was by offshoring American jobs. He then his money outside of the U.S. He is the worst kind of hypocrit! Makes me sick to even look at this creep!
Funny, willards pretty quick with the criticism, but late on his solutions. How long exactly do we have to wait to hear details on romneys plan to jumpstart hiring and the economy?
His "you'll see after I'm elected" strategy doesn't work for me.
Romney's jobs plan: make sure the rich get more money and they will take care of everyone else. Anything else is Socialism! And for those of you who complain about the jobs going offshore, you just hate Capitalism. It's all about the bottom line, pinkos!
No plan. Again, no plan. Hey House GOP, WHERE ARE THE JOBS YOU PROMISED US? You really think Mitt will do any better?
Does anybody actually understand why jobs get shipped overseas? The reality is that it's more financially attractive, and while that doesn't sound or feel warm and fuzzy that's how some companies stay competitive. It's not anti-American it's simple dollars and cents. What's anti-American is complaining about it and not coming up with ways to make the US the supplier of choice. The truth is we are losing and we need to start coming up with answers instead of waiting for someone to fix it for us.
Rail on big corporations all you want, but where do you think these jobs are going to come from? Unless you plan on getting out there and starting your own business to generate jobs I suggest you start thinking of ways we can *gasp* help these big corporations keep jobs in the US, or even bring some back.
KIck in the gut did Mitt really say those words?? no what is a kick in the gut is the Fact Mitt will not demand House Repuiblicans return from summer break to deal with Tax Reform, defict reduction, fact is if these two issues were to be addressed in the next 30 days we would see great job growth as two major uncertaines that are a biog drag on the economy would be removed adn hiring would uptick more........Nope Mitt instead will just stand there and do nothing.... oh wait that is right he and the House republicans want people to suffer more and longer to they can take control and make thier friends richer............
Mitt states, "Failing to effectively crack down on China for cheating and stealing American jobs, that has not helped."
Is it the same as gutting american companies and sending the jobs to China, Mexico, etc for profit. Mr. Romney you are part of the problem, and not the solutuion.....
Be smart Americans when Bush got elected I invested in Oil and did very well when Romney gets elected I will invest in China and will do well again, Democrats just don't understand that Republicans understand how to make money whether America does well or Poorly
mitt can create jobs........in other countries. eat the rich
Reducing corporate tax rates won't create jobs. Reducing corporate regulations won't create jobs.
"Job creators" react to "money spenders." Consumer spending isn't increasing because the middle class money spenders lost 40% of their wealth in the aftermath of the Bush Recession.
if Romney's plan is to create utopia by allowing rich businessmen to shirk their responsibility to their country, without addressing the increasing disparity of wealth, it won't work any better than it did for George Bush.
Besides, the "job creators" like high unemployment, because they don't have to give raises, and it makes labor less costly.
Last month it was Obamas fault for high gas prices.
Repubs are getting desperate.
Lets see what they can throw at the wall, and hope it sticks.
Its pretty clear that Willard has NO CHANCE at the white house.
Game over.
Oh, I know what it is. He's gonna insource all the jobs that he and other capitalist "captains of industry" shipped overseas back to the US, right?? No. That's not it? Well try this one. He's going to tell the GOP to come up with all those jobs schemes they base their 2010 campaigns on. You know, when they said "Vote for me! You'll be and employee!" Talk about a bunch of lying, carpetbagging...Then they hire folks to "fix it" when they wear paper thin, and will still vote for them. Dam we're stupid...and oh yeah, hateful. I think it's about a hate filled 4-and-the-door program for the president.
Are people really going to vote for Romney? Romney ran for president SIX TIMES! Doesn't that tell people who are voting for him...... SOMETHING?
If Romney wins the middle class and poor get a huge kick in the balls!
Democrats just don't understand that Republicans understand how to make money whether America does well or Poorly.....
So, to heck with America ?
Look at Romney's record as head of Bain-his goal as a businessman was to maximize profits which meant cutting jobs, outsourcing, lowering salaries and cutting benefits. Good for a company, good for shareholders. Not good for the economic health of a country, not good for the middle class. Romney cannot tout himself as a job creator.
if he is a job-creator whats stopping him from doing so right now? ...before he has to deal with an obstructive congress. This guy has no care in the world for anyone but self, It cannot be in his nature to do so.