Obama on Bad Unemployment Report: 'A Lot of Work to Do'

President Barack Obama managed to wedge comments on Friday's bad jobs report in-between news of the depressing national numbers and the successful launch of Atlantis, the final shuttle in the NASA program.

It confirms what most Americans already know: We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, the president commented.

As the Labor Department said, the unemployment rate increased from 9.1 percent to 9.2 percent in June. Obama called on Congress to approve new plans for construction jobs, patent approvals, free-trade agreements, and an extension of this years payroll tax rate cut.

He also cited the paltry job growth of only 18,000 in the new report -- claiming it proves the need for a deal to increase the nations $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while reducing federal spending. That's the subject of high-profile negotiations with Republicans going on right now.

The American people need us to do everything we can to strengthen this economy, Obama said.

The GOP, meanwhile, called the spike in unemployment proof that Obamas economic policies are a complete washout.

Todays report is more evidence that the misguided stimulus spending binge, excessive regulations, and an overwhelming national debt continue to hold back private-sector job creation in our country, said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.