Romney Calls Dismal Jobs Report a 'Harsh Indictment' of Obama Policies

The dismal jobs report released Friday has driven the news of the day, revealing a rise in the unemployment rate to 8.2 percent and only 69,000 jobs created by U.S. Employers in May, the fewest in a year. The findings come us a bitter pill for the Obama campaign which has had some difficulty in messaging over the last few weeks, and now will face increased scrutiny from Republicans and the media at large, questioning whether this administration is capable of stabilizing the economy. Appearing on CNBC Friday morning, President Obama's presumptive general election challenger Mitt Romney said the report shows  a "harsh indictment" of the Obama administration's policies and ability to handle the economy.

"We've had 40 straight months with unemployment over 8 percent. Forty straight months. And as you recall, from the beginning of the Obama's administration, they indicated that unemployment would be kept below 8 percent for this entire period," said Romney. "Their policies have not worked, and in many respect, their policies have made it harder for the economy to recover.

"I think that is one of the reasons why people are looking for a new direction."

Romney went on to criticize President Obama for not focussing more energy on jobs and restoring economic certainty when first taking office, instead focusing on his "legacy" and attempting something "historic" with Obamacare.

When asked about the fiscal crisis in Europe and other global economic concerns affecting the U.S., Romney said the best thing we can do is make the American economy as "robust as possible" by moving away from the policies of the Obama administration which have made investors less likely to want to invest in America.

When asked about attacks from the Obama campaign, Romney defended his record at Bain Capital, citing recent support of the company from former President Bill Clinton.

"I was happy to see President Clinton make a similar statement and called my record superb," Romney said. "I certainly believe it's a record that shows I understand how the economy works at the level of job creators."