http://thinkprogress.org/...
We all know that no President since FDR has ever been re-elected with unemployment numbers above 7% (Ed. actually 7.2% specifically when Reagan was re-elected), well now President Obama has finally crossed below the 8% threshold and the GOP really Can't Handle It.
First there was former GE CEO Jack Welch who suggested that the Obama Political Operation had "cooked the books" (the same way he did as CEO) to generate good jobs numbers - with the Unemployment Rate finally falling to 7.8%.
And in just an hour or so, this actually became a genuine subject of discussion on twitter among Conservates. Not that many doubted it.
It got so bad that Labor Secretary Hilda Soliz just tweeted this in defense of her organization.
@HildaSolizDOL Since 1915 @BLS_gov has provided credible employment data for our nation. BLS civil servants are professionals & I stand by their work!
Not that it stopped the Wingnuts for a second.
@ConnCarroll I don't think BLS cooked numbers. I think a bunch of Dems lied about getting jobs. That would have same effect.
Um, people can't just
call the Department of Labor and say they got a job, let alone the idea that a ton of Dems would
Lie About it. It doesn't work that way, the DOL looks at paychecks being sent out with withholding and numbers of people filing for
unemployment benefits actively
looked for a job. They don't ask for a "showing of hands" for people who are working. (Update: They do call 50,000 Households a Month in a Survey to ask how many people are working in those homes!)
However I do find the opposite Idea more plausible for next month - one which was tweeted by Dave Weigel
@DaveWeigel Instead of donating more to super PAC, some Romney-backing billionaires should fire a bunch of people, kick up Oct. unemployment #
To which I wonder -
Don't you Think They've already thought of that - and have been probably HOLDING BACK ON HIRING for that very reason? Congress has cut-off support money to the States, and Republican Governors haven't been the least bit shy or timid about shedding public sector jobs for the last two years. It's not a theory - it's a provable fact that Unemployment would've already been
below 6% if not for Republicans.
It's a lot more plausible than Dems pretending to have jobs they don't have. I even have a chart for it.
Harry Reid has already tweeted this morning in support of that fact.
@SenatorReid We could move faster if Republicans dropped obstruction, yet Sen. McConnell said his ‘single most important’ goal was defeating Pres. Obama
Despite the reality of Republican Obstruction - holding the
American Jobs Act Hostage in the Senate - we still get Conspiratorial thinking from Rumsfeld's former Chief of Staff
KeithUrbahn No, there's nothing at all curious about the last jobs report diving to 7.8% unemployment before the election.
And then there's Stuart Varney on Fox News whose said "Isn't it convenient?"
And Charles Payne, also on Fox, who "guaranteed" that the numbers for September will e "adjusted back over 8%" in future months.
And Fox's Eric Bolling.
@EricBolling WOW Obama Labor Dept (7.8%)smarter than all 25 of Americas top Economists (8.2%est)..or something far more insideous 4p&5p FNC/DVR
And now you have the first Conservative elected Official to weigh in, and of course it's Alan West.
@AllenWest In regards to today's Jobs report---I agree with former GE CEO Jack Welch, Chicago style politics is at work here... tinyurl.com/9rbommz
It is truly amazing isn't it? We finally have some (somewhat) good news about jobs, we're finally below the 8% red-line we've been stuck at for 40 months and the response from 23-45% of the country - as represented by Conservatives & Fox - is that
It Can't Possibly Be True!
Well of course they're going to say that, because if it is true then Romney's singular rationale for his entire campaign has just collapse and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. He's running because the economy is "So Bad" that He and Only He with his Miraculous CEO Experience tm can fix it and turn it around.
Yeah, right - but what if it already is turning around?
What's he going to say then - I can turn it faster? Romney's entire campaign is based on how bad the economy is, but why elect him if it's not that bad anymore, particular when Romney V20.12 rev #332 Build 300233 is going to keep most of Obamacare, keep most of Dodd-Frank, keep spending on Schools, and Won't Cut Taxes for the Rich?
What is the point of his campaign anymore?
Vyan
2:12 PM PT: Doesn't this just say it all from the Fox Hompage?