Gingrich: Jobs report helps Obama

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Republican Newt Gingrich said Sunday on NBCs "Meet the Press" the nation's jobless rate dipping below 8 percent is a boon to President Barack Obama.

"I think it was a significant help to the president," Gingrich, who lost the Republican presidential nomination to Mitt Romney, said. "Imagine it came out at 8.2 following that debate. I mean people would have entered this weekend saying, well, that's close to the end."

Gingrich went on to predict several remaining momentum swings as the campaign reaches the home stretch.

"I think you're going to see it go back and forth some over the next week."

Gingrich also questioned the veracity of the jobs report, pointing to comments Friday by former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, implying the stronger-than-expected jobs report may have been politically motivated to boost Obama's re-election prospects, though he conceded he had no proof.

"So you have a president of the United States so deeply distrusted by people like Jack Welch who's hardly a right winger. ... Welch instantaneously assumes this is the Chicago [corruption] issue. I'm just -- it's worth looking at it," Gingrich said.