Private sector recovery relatively good; would have been better if it weren't for govt layoffs

"The economy created more private sector jobs after the recession than we did in 1991 or 2011. Yes, this is like bragging about the heat coming off a warm ice cube. Yes, we fell further and had more room to catch up. But Obama's recovery doesn't look like either of the Bush recoveries because Obama oversaw total decline in government employment and Bush I and II oversaw a growing public sector."

- Derek Thompson in "Was Obama's Recovery the Worst in Modern Times, or the Best in 20 Years?"