The Obama administration’s “American Jobs Act”—a token measure forgotten by all but a few—is back in the news.

Just over a year ago, I reported on the constitutional defects of President Obama’s “American Jobs Act” (AJA), a bill clearly designed to force Republicans to vote against it, thereby giving the President political “cover” on his poor handling of the economy.

Apparently, the trick has worked. In an editorial endorsing the President for re-election, the Denver Post sought to defect criticism of Obama’s economic performance by blaming Republicans for rejecting the AJA.

Of course Republicans had to reject it. The AJA was less about jobs than about imposing even more regulations on the economy and providing opportunities for trial lawyers, a key part of the Democratic constituency.

And, as I mentioned in my post last year, key parts of the bill were unconstitutional, and the courts would have voided them even if (by some miracle) it had passed.

In Congress, some bills are introduced in hopes that their passage will solve real problems. Other bills are introduced merely to box in political opponents.

Citizens and journalists need to understand the difference.