WHICH IS WHY THE GOP NEEDS TO BANG ON SPENDING, NOT THE ECONOMY:

Pace of Job Losses Sets Stage for Quick Labor-Market Rebound (Justin LaHart, 8/10/09, WSJ)

The rapid pace at which businesses shed jobs during the recession comes with a flip side: Workers will need to be hired back quickly as the economy improves. [...]

Businesses say they are running lean. Philadelphia staffing and outsourcing company CDI Corp. has seen demand for its services fall sharply in response to the recession. Its engineering services business, for example, has seen a 22% drop-off, said Chief Executive Roger Ballou. But the company has cut staff deeply enough that it doesn't have many idle hands, and Mr. Ballou said that's true at CDI's customers as well.

"I'm unaware of any firm out there today that has lots and lots of people sitting on the bench, waiting for business to come back," said Mr. Ballou. As a result, he thinks jobs will come back more quickly as the economy recovers than they did in 2001.