Portman faults Obama on unemployment

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, criticized U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday for "more spending, more regulation and more taxes."

"This week, 13 million Americans won't go to work, not because they're on vacation, but because they can't find jobs. As a candidate, Barack Obama promised to help these Americans find work," Portman said in the weekly Republican media address.

"We gave him the ability to turn things around. And three years later, the results are in: Unemployment is over 8 percent for the longest period since the Great Depression. And it's actually higher than that because so many Americans are so discouraged, they've stopped looking for work."

Portman, who is considered a possible running mate for Mitt Romney, said Obama has not made creating jobs a priority and instead focused on healthcare reform and, early in his administration, the stimulus package.

"Instead of focusing on growing jobs and reigniting our economy, President Obama focused on growing government and tried to remake the United States into the image of the debt-laden countries of Europe," Portman said.