Can someone help me identify where this lie came from

[pnwmom]

and how to answer it?

"In February of 2009, President Obama signed a $787 Billion dollar stimulus to get people back to work. Since that day, there are 2.4 million fewer jobs in our country."

[baldguy]

1. Looks like the RW "Media Research Center"

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=209589

So, you know it's full of lies.

[leveymg]

2. BLS tracks total employment in the US monthly. Go to the site and

you will see net job creation since February, 2009. However, be aware that 190,000 jobs have to be created each month just to keep up with population increase, so those months with less than that count as net jobs lost. Here's the chart since 01/09. Notice the huge negative job numbers in 2009 that are not outweighed by 2010-11, so far.

Botton line, that stat may be correct: http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001?output_view=net_1mth

[mmonk]

3. Jobs aren't lost through stimulus.

They can be lost through budget cutting (currently 1 million and rising) and economic downturns creating less demand.

[OHdem10]

4. Sounds like something I hear d on the Tabloid Station.

Listen to Faux fro a while and I am sure you will hear something
very close.

The Democrats are going to have to clear up a lot of lies.

[Make7]

5. CNS News

 
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/24-million-fewer-jobs-obama-signed-econo">http://cnsnews.com/news/article/24-million-fewer-jobs-obama-signed-econo
 

[rosesaylavee]

6. Here's what I found on the google

I went back chronologically using the phrase ' 2.4 million fewer jobs'. Found what I think is the origin (maybe) by connecting with this blog/entry from July 10: http://richardjgrant.com/ which references this idea dated July 1 here: http://www.aier.org/research/briefs/2485-the-downside-of-monetary-easing

Not sure if that is the answer but it's what I came up with after a 10 minute search.

[pnwmom]

8. Thanks. I guess the important thing is that the economy

was losing 800,000 jobs a month during the Bush administration and for the first several months after Obama took effect -- the stimulus couldn't have any immediate effect.

[rosesaylavee]

9. Exactly.

And what would have happened if Congress had extended the stimulus?

[Enrique]

7. Rick Santorum started tried to spread this on CNN

the interviewer smacked him down HARD for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDmJ8P2T8UU