The (Middletown, N.Y.) Times Herald-Record

The Bush administration got some much-needed good news on the economic front Friday as the Labor Department reported the largest monthly increase in new jobs in four years.

Jobs, of course, have been an Achilles heel in the president's re-election campaign. Lost jobs, that is, 2 million since he took office.

... What with the continuing criticism over the White House's lack of cooperation with the Sept. 11 commission, combined with reports by former staffers that Bush and his aides were not necessarily the aggressive anti-terrorism team they have made themselves out to be in Bush re-election statements, the jobs report was a welcome change of pace for the president. ...

But let us not forget that 8.35 million people were on the unemployment rolls in March and 8.17 million the month before.

For people who eventually find jobs, it is taking an average of 20 weeks to do so and more of them are accepting part-time work.

And while the manufacturing sector showed no net loss of jobs in March, for the first time in 44 months, new jobs were still not being created in U.S. factories.

On balance, a positive report, but 2 million jobs is a big hole to dig out of.