Commerce chief responds to Clinton: ‘Yes, private sector creates jobs’

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on Wednesday offered a counterpoint to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks on jobs. 

“Yes, the private sector creates jobs,” Pritzker said on Wednesday at the Washington Ideas Forum.

{mosads}“Our job is to set the conditions so the private sector can create jobs,” she added, explaining the role of the Commerce Department. “What we’re focused on and what we’re working on is making sure there’s good infrastructure in this country, making sure there’s a skilled workforce in this country, making sure there’s a good environment for investment.”

Pritzker’s comment came after a question prompted by Clinton’s remarks at a political rally in Massachusetts on Friday, in which she said: “Don’t let anybody tell you that, you know, it’s corporations and businesses that create jobs.”

Clinton walked back the comment this week, saying she “short-handed” the point about limiting outsourcing and tax breaks for major corporations.

But conservative pundits quickly pounced on the remarks, calling it a blatant attempt to appeal to backers of populist Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said that the comments were a sign that Clinton is “not really good at politics.”