Former Bush Labor Secretary Blasts Obama For Blaming Economy On Republicans

Last week, President Obama blamed Republicans for the poor state of the economy.

On CNN's State of the Union Sunday, former Bush Labor Secretary Elaine Chao scoffed at this saying, "I don't know how he can say that when he had control of both the houses in the legislative branch. He had control over the White House."

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST: A lot of things that we were told that the president didn't get to in his first term such as immigration reform, he says, “Well, I had to focus on the economy.” But nonetheless, Elaine, let me let you get in on this, and that is: does the president, I mean, he says it's really the Republicans that are standing in the way of what he'd like to do in the economy.

ELAINE CHAO, BUSH LABOR SECRETARY: I don't know how he can say that when he had control of both the houses in the legislative branch. He had control over the White House.

CROWLEY: He doesn't now, and we’re talking about now.

CHAO: In 2009 and 2010. He was able to get sweeping changes through to our economy, which actually including, for example, ObamaCare and also, you know, Dodd-Frank which are actually having a hampering effect, they’re having a dampening effect on job creation.

I'm actually rather surprised that in his State of the Union, in his inaugural address, that there was not a more magnanimous spirit shown, that there was not more of a graciousness to focus on reaching out to the other side to work together. He uses the words, but if you look at the agenda, it's very much a far-left agenda item. And if you look at the numbers, the report of this past Friday, I don't know how anybody can say that that was a good report. I think the president has to focus on job creation. He cannot do everything at one time, and clearly job creation is far, far less than what we expect.