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Unemployment in the 17 countries that use the euro hit its highest level since the currency was introduced back in 1999, official figures showed Monday, adding to fears that the region is in recession.

Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office, said unemployment in the eurozone rose to 10.8 percent in February from 10.7 percent the previous month. ... The figures stand in marked contrast to the U.S. — with an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent — which has recorded solid increases in the number of people finding work over the past few months.

No, 8.3 percent unemployment isn't good enough, and yes, this has been an extraordinarily slow and weak recovery. But it is a recovery, happening here and now, even as the oh-so-responsible austerity mavens in Europe continue to drive their economy further into the ditch.

For Republicans to blame Obama for a weak recovery, when the US is one of the few nations that fell into the Great Recession to have managed to claw its way back out, is laughable. But for them to continue fighting to impose the same austerity policies here, that are killing jobs in the UK and Europe, well, that's just fucking crazy.