They all do it – both Republicans and Democrats point fingers elsewhere to avoid any blame when things go wrong, and leap in front of the camera when there’s a chance to take credit for something good. But, as your mom probably told you, “Just because everybody does it doesn’t make it right.”
So Gov. Deval Patrick deserves at least to go without dessert for his unseemly, almost desperate, demand that he get the credit for the growth of jobs during the past month.
Since he took office, the governor has blamed everybody from President George W. Bush to global forces beyond his control for the horrendous unemployment levels in Massachusetts.
But as soon as the state reported that there were 19,100 new jobs created in April (a figure being questioned by some economists), it was suddenly it was all about him, and he was very much in his control.
“The significant gains we’re seeing in the construction, scientific, financial and manufacturing sectors show that our strategy is working,” Patrick said. Apparently the private sector employers who actually created the jobs had nothing to do with it.
Somehow, the governor also forgot to mention that unemployment is still 9.2 percent.
