John Boehner's Crocodile Tears

Ohio Republican John Boehner had a sure-fire way to get crowds on their feet during the 2010 campaign. Citing his deep care and concern for struggling American workers, he would intone "Where are the jobs?!"

That was then and now is now, and the only thing surprising about Boehner's remarks this week about those struggling workers is that now that he has been elevated to House majority leader he would come right out and say what anyone who is conversant with what passes for Republican economic policy well knows.

"In the last two years, under President Obama, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs," Boehner said, calling this wasteful spending. "If some of those jobs are lost so be it. We're broke."

In another non surprise, Boehner grossly misstated the number of federal jobs added. Most were temporary Census Bureau positions, and the real net gain was 46,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, Boehner's loss of empathy for the jobless even extends to his own family. Three of his brothers lost jobs during the Bush Recession, but he doesn't even know if they've found work.

Meanwhile meanwhile, Boehner continues to relentlessly lobby to save a fighter jet engine project that the Pentagon has said is wasteful spending and has been trying to kill for years. The project is, of course, headquartered in Ohio.