Carney: Obama 'Far Less Focused on His Job' Than on Americans' Jobs

On a day when President Obama travels to New York for three campaign events — and on the heels of Friday’s disappointing jobs report — White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama’s less focused on his job than on economic matters.

Carney was asked at today’s press briefing about Democrats’ rumblings of concern that the economy could hurt not only Obama’s re-election chances, but the party’s chances in the House and Senate.

“The president is focused far less on his job than on the jobs of the American people,” Carney said. “That’s what he works on every day. That is what drives all of the economic proposals that he has put forward. That is what has driven him from the beginning — from the time he decided to run for the Senate and run for the presidency.”

Carney said Obama “takes a long view on all of these things.”

“Is it good or bad for any candidate’s prospects in November? That’s — that’s not why he got into this.”

Obama tried to make the case at Friday fundraisers that May job numbers were hit by economic troubles in Europe.

“We need to take every step that we can here at home to insulate our economy from the negative effects of the eurozone crisis or slower growth in China or whatever headwind arises,” Carney said. “…Therefore, we need to pass every piece of legislation we can that helps our economy grow and help it create jobs.”