WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry Thursday criticized President George W. Bush for a six month delay in appointing a "manufacturing czar" to generate new industrial jobs.
Bush, Kerry said in a statement: "proved yet again how difficult it is for his administration to create even one new manufacturing job. It took six months after announcing they would create a manufacturing czar for the Bush administration to actually announce a candidate." During that time "the nation lost more than 96,000 jobs, he said.
The Massachusetts senator and front-running Democratic candidate also criticized the president's expected choice for the position, Tony Raimondo, head of the Behlen Manufacturing Co., for considering using non-American steel for his U.S. operations, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.
Kerry's campaign also criticized Raimondo for laying off 17 percent, or one sixth of his company's workforce in 2002 and opening a new plant in China. "This is what companies are forced to do under the Bush economy," a Kerry campaign statement said.
