WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Sen. John Kerry's campaign Tuesday gave U.S. President George W. Bush an award he didn't want for losing more jobs than any U.S. president since Herbert Hoover.
Kerry Campaign Chairwoman Jeanne Shaheen announced the symbolic and satirical presentation of a fictitious "Herbert Hoover Award" to the president Tuesday, the day he was honoring quality leaders in U.S. business at the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality awards.
"Since the president is handing out awards today we wanted to give him one," said Shaheen, the former Democratic governor of New Hampshire and head of Kerry's state primary campaign.
"So on behalf of the nearly 3 million people who have lost their jobs under this administration, we are awarding George Bush the first ever 'Herbert Hoover Award' for having the worst jobs record since the Great Depression."
The government has argued that its tax cuts and other measures will create new jobs to make up for the ones lost.
Kerry is the Democratic front-runner and presumed presidential candidate. He has closed the gap with Bush in polls and even leads in some by focusing on jobs and economic issues.