Misstep on jobs figure could haunt Bush

[Roon]

Conspiracy theorists have had a field day trying to figure out just what President Bush’s advisers had in mind when they issued a projection for 2004 job growth that appears far too high given recent economic trends.

If the administration stands by its projection that the economy will create at least 2.6 million jobs this year, it opens itself to criticism month after month as job growth falls short of the mark, as most forecasters expect, Jacobs said. Yet if the administration repudiates its projection or issues new, lower figures, Democrats will pounce.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4332721/

[Catshrink]

1. But maybe they will create 2.6 mil outsourced jobs..

or am I listening to Lou Dobbs talk about "cheap overseas labor markets" too much?

Although, on second thought, the misadministration is about to create a whole lot of manufacturing jobs when they reclassify burger flippers as manufacturing techs.

[HootieMcBoob]

11. 2.6 million job related program activities

is what he really meant. I can't believe you people at DU don't understand that yet?

[jean]

2. maybe he mistakenly included the jobs creation numbers from

his rebuilding Iraq, including its economy, figures.

Good try, MSNBC, using the tired old "conspiracy theorist" frame. We're all sick of it.

[nuxvomica]

3. Yeah, he didn't name any of the conspiracy theorists

Though he led the piece with that phrase. Maybe he was referring to Greenspan.

[Poiuyt]

4. Bush IS creating a lot of jobs

In China

[Harriette]

5. Jobs?

Jobs have declined for minorities since the Bush reign. The media publicizes that there are more jobs being created for sensationalism purposes. They try to create a general tone of optimism in the American people by reporting a positive economy. However, the reality of the nation's condition is quite bleak. Our mantra has become, "Hope springs eternal..." There are more unemployed people than there are jobs, and the only reason why the unemployment rate has subsided; is because unemployment benefits for individuals out of work has been exhausted. Thus lessening the amount of people recorded as being "unemployed".

[Catshrink]

6. Welcome to DU, Harriette!

Are you in Alaska as your avatar suggests?

[newyawker99]

8. Hi Harriette!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Scottie72]

10. Welcome to DU!!!!!

Welcome to DU :hi: I hope you like it here at stay awhile.

[buycitgo]

7. funny stuff coming up here..........via Lawrence "Cokie" Kudlow

did anybody see him on tweet last night, arguing with the guy from the AFLCIO? he was clearly very, uh, "tightly wound"

looked like he was bouncing off the ceiling, interrupting constantly, more manic than I've ever seen him, and at least as nonsensical

he tried injecting the household employment figures, then when called on it, said something like the payroll figures are just as good, but the VERY BEST part was his saying that the monkeyboy should not have backed down on his job predictions, that the economy was absolutely BOOMING along (real wages are increasing at a 3.8% clip!), and that he should be out there predicting not 2.6 million jobs this year, but

THREE MILLION new jobs this year!

that's what he said.....THREE MILLION!

tweety, then, pouncing on the labor guy about Smoot-Hawley/tariffs, etc., was zooming himself, but offered that he'd already WON the argument against Kudlow.

pretty funny

[Hailtothechimp]

9. I saw it. The AFL-CIO guy on with him was pretty good.

Watching Kudlow's performance, I got the sense that the right must be pretty edgy. As they should be.

[brokensymmetry]

13. A mere three million?

Golly gee, I'm sure that with the pResident at the helm it'll be more like 30,000,000 in the next 6 months! And wages will be up not 3.8%, but rather 103.8%!

And anyone who believes that is welcome to contact me by PM. I have a bridge that they can invest in...cash only, of course...

[priller]

14. "real wages are increasing at a 3.8% clip"????

Where'd he get that stat from? All the info I've seen have wages as being essentially flat in recent years.

[DrBB]

12. It's those new "manufacturing" jobs

Not only does adding buns to burgers get redefined as "food product assembly line manufacturing," but we get to add them as "new" jobs, since they didn't exist before! I mean, they were jobs, but differently categorized. So we get to count 'em as "new"!

Truth is so malleable. Such fun. How many lights do you see? I see five lights. Or however many they tell me.