"But the trend is clear.  We saw 12 straight months of private sector job growth.  That's the first time that's been true since 2006.  The economy added 1.3 million jobs last year.  And each quarter was stronger than the previous quarter, which means that the pace of hiring is beginning to pick up.  We're also seeing more optimistic economic forecasts for the year ahead, in part due to the package of tax cuts I signed last month..."  President Obama, January 7, 2011.