Mark Penn: "Unless some tough decisions are made soon,
rising jobless figures will most likely hit what could be a public
opinion and political tripwire: 10 percent unemployment. If and when
the country crosses that line, it will be the No. 1 news story for
days, recent stock market gains could recede, and consumer confidence
will fall. And whether or not the economic crisis is coming to an end,
such a high unemployment level has the potential to undermine the
hard-won confidence enjoyed by the Obama administration. The
Republicans will quickly claim all we have is more debt and fewer jobs."