A slight slowdown in economic growth this week as new unemployment numbers showed that March only added half the amount of jobs February. We featured a debate this morning on the role government should play in a struggling economy.
Ohio governor John Kasich (R) argues that the nation's economic recovery is "too anemic" at the federal level and that his state could be a model. "Ohio's coming back because we set a clear path," Kasich said. "We cut taxes, we balanced our budget... And we've created an environment and an atmosphere for job growth."
Senator Durbin, on the other hand, argued that following Republican [and Mitt Romney's] proposals for the federal budget would take the country backward and harm economic recovery.
"I think governor Mitt Romney's approach to this thing sadly is a return to the same economic policy we had under President Bush that brought on the worst recession since the Great Depression."
As for the GOP horse-race, Governor Kasich has not endorsed anyone and says he will wait until a nominee is chosen before weighing in. However, in the fall, thinks his state's contest will be "tight as a tick," adding that independent voters will be the key.
Watch our entire program on our website including a special roundtable discussion on the role of faith in our politics and whether or not a politician's religion should matter to voters.
We were joined by Archbishop-designate of Baltimore William Lori; daughter of Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz; United Methodist Pastor Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO); member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID); and Executive Editor at Random House, as well as author of “American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation,” Jon Meacham.
We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.
