Conservatives, including the Business & Media Institute, have criticized President Barack Obama's mathematics and language regarding job creation. CNN's Ed Henry brought up that same criticism on Feb. 2 during "Anderson Cooper 360°."
"[T]here are now questions about how many jobs Mr. Obama is promising to create," Ed Henry told viewers of the broadcast. Henry used three separate video clips of Obama talking about jobs to illustrate the way the President "seemed to move the goal post" for job creation.
Henry began with a clip of Obama's remarks on Nov. 22, 2008 when he said his team would be working on a plan to create 2.5 million more jobs in two years (by January 2011).
"By his first weekend in office, the President jacked up the number of jobs to 4 million, but got squishy on the time frame," Henry explained before showing video of Obama from Jan. 31 with a lower estimate.
That day, Obama declared that his administration's plan would save or create 3 million new jobs "over the next few years."
Henry's report included video of press secretary Robert Gibbs dancing to try and answer that question of how many jobs Obama would actually create. Gibbs told reporters: "I'll go back and we'll clarify what all the different numbers are but the bottom line is this. You've got a piece of legislation that creates jobs."
"But Republicans are now wondering if the President has been hedging a little to scale back expectations," Henry concluded.
—Julia A. Seymour is an assistant editor for the Business & Media Institute.




















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Robert Gibbs unequivocally
February 3, 2009 - 16:54 ET by BKeyserRobert Gibbs unequivocally stated in today's River Dance that the stimulus package making it's way to the round file creates jobs and puts money in the pockets of poor and middle class people. He clearly said that the President supports that agenda, if not the package as currently proposed. That was, when, 1:30, 2:00 ET this afternoon?
And yet, not 3 hours later, all the talk is about trashing this plan and starting over. Polls indicate dying public interest in the package, and even Democratic Senators are backtracking on this piece of garage. These politicians need to stop pressing for immediate action and legislation that makes little or no sense, and actually do the job they've been voted into office to do; effectively govern the nation.
Fat chance with finger-in-the-wind policy-making.
River Dance
February 3, 2009 - 18:03 ET by BlondeThat's a perfect descriptions of the Gibbs Presser.
I don't think "plummeting" is too strong a word for the public support of the porkalicious stimulus bill.
It's dead, stick a fork in it.
In that last video he
February 3, 2009 - 16:58 ET by rimskyIn that last video he changed his statement from saying that the bill would "create" more jobs to saying that it will "save or create" more jobs.
Blasphemy! The
February 3, 2009 - 16:58 ET by Chris NormanBlasphemy!
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Government Doesn't Create Jobs!!!
February 3, 2009 - 17:05 ET by slickwillie2001Obammy can say anything he wants, because no one will demand an explanation. During the election he got away with the '95% will get a tax cut' nonsense and no one called him on it. He could say 'I will create or save twenty million jobs', and a couple years from now claim success because it's a meaningless metric.
You want 2 million jobs
February 3, 2009 - 17:07 ET by bigtimerYou want 2 million jobs instantly...
Drill Often!... Drill Everywhere!
Oops we can't have that now can we.
Being dependent on foreign oil/enemies is so much more sensible.
I was thinking that too.
February 3, 2009 - 17:08 ET by BKeyserI was thinking that too. Might even help solve or stave off some other problems, huh?
BT
February 3, 2009 - 18:31 ET by well99Exactly.Those jobs will be good paying jobs too.It would be a nice change for us to control our own destiny.
§Bt...Ster sais Howdy!!!
February 3, 2009 - 18:38 ET by TheSterYou are right...as usual!!
I just saw a commercial from the Oil/Gas industry fot the first time today!!
Ster.
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Too Funny BT
February 3, 2009 - 20:45 ET by HumblepieJust saw the new feel-good ad from your friend and ours, Joe Kennedy. The lady was in the profession of helping others from living on the streets. Now, do to the economy, she was in trouble of losing her house and didn't know what she would do for heat. Thank God for Joe Kennedy, Citgo, and the wonderful people of Venezuela. The only thing that popped into my mind was, you stupid twit, start drilling you morons. They're making the best case for drilling and don't even realize it.
Quick! The gene pool needs more chlorine.
Soon Everyone Will Realize
February 3, 2009 - 17:13 ET by Retired GeekSoon Everyone Will Realize that Obama's "Recovery Plan" was never meant to stabilize America, but to make the problems worse.
Obama will NOT let this crises be wasted.
For
Obama to bring his plans into fruition the situation must get worse and
then he can began to Nationalize the production systems in America.
The Nationalization of Banking has already begun and is well on its way.
Even the most ardent Obama supporters will begin to see the Obamunism taking place, some are already complaining about it.
Obamunism!
February 3, 2009 - 18:31 ET by pbanks7That's a good one. Makes sense. If you coined that, you're a genius!
MSM - shaping all the perceptions you need to believe, then confirming it with a poll.
Stimulating the economy
February 3, 2009 - 18:40 ET by Sergeant ROCKCheck it out!
Obama, in a roundabout way, is stimulating the economy!
Bolton/KEYES 2012
I use Obamunism Because
February 3, 2009 - 19:13 ET by Retired GeekI don't know if I coined the term Obamunism or not but I have been using the term on Town Hall since about August, 2008.
Liberals at Town Hall were so upset with me for saying Marxist-Obama, I changed it to Obamunism.
MSM Waking Up?!?!? NO WAY !
February 3, 2009 - 22:43 ET by Dont_Like_TheBluesI'm amazed that one of these behemoth drooling St Bernards of MSM is slowing down on their drooling. I really didn't think that the cliches like "Transition to Power" etc. would slow down until 2011. Oh well.....
Oh well I'm just an early April 1st sucker. I guess that's the NEW NEW DEAL . Alternating April 1st and April 15th. Oh and the April 15th is only for us little unimportant folks.
With some of the crap that
February 3, 2009 - 17:51 ET by Clear thinkerWith some of the crap that is put into this stupid bill, I'm expecting a net loss of jobs!
The Third Jihad
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
Ct... Me too....and some
February 3, 2009 - 18:00 ET by bigtimerCt...
Me too....and some of this phony BS will just be temporary.
They sure seem to have trouble...
February 3, 2009 - 17:51 ET by JPR1nailing down their own numbers. During the campaign the income threshold for tax cuts bounced from $250k to $150k over the course of a week. Course they never got called on it. Wonder what it's at now.
To a democrat
February 3, 2009 - 18:26 ET by ahusseranyone who makes over 40k is "rich" and needs to be taxed at a higher rate.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. F
If you don't pay any taxes,
February 3, 2009 - 18:34 ET by pbanks7If you don't pay any taxes, you deserve a rebate. The highest corporate tax rate in the Western World needs to stay that way. Let's create wealth by taxing it! Obama can do no wrong!
MSM - shaping all the perceptions you need to believe, then confirming it with a poll.
Right now I guess Obama
February 3, 2009 - 19:05 ET by ahusserThat this job aint honey and roses. I just want to know can I now call him the "The Great Waffler"
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. F
If you trust the Obama Stimulus Plan - Try it in your own life
February 3, 2009 - 19:09 ET by Retired GeekIf you don't believe that Obama wants America to fail, try the Obama Doctrine of Economics in your own life.
President
Obama believes that 'Borrowing More Money and Spending More Money' will
help America reduce debt and bring financial health to America.
If
you can't pay your Credit Card debt, just follow the Obama Economic
Plan and charge more on those credit card and apply for more credit
cards to charge on.
Mortgage everything you own and sell everything else to raise money.
Charge, charge, charge and invest everything else in Companies that are proven failures and are poorly managed.
It may take sometime as Obama explains, but soon you will be debt free and in good financial health.
Obama says don't delay, do it now, do it today, time is wasting.
I agree Retired Geek
February 3, 2009 - 19:17 ET by ahusserBut the gubment gets to print the money.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Superb analogy! Same
February 3, 2009 - 19:27 ET by stratmanSuperb analogy!
Same result too - bankruptcy.
→ No kidding strat.
February 3, 2009 - 19:31 ET by Cool ArrowAnd we'd all be lying if we said we've never seen people try to do exactly that.
CA:I've thought in the
February 3, 2009 - 21:51 ET by stratmanCA:
I've thought in the past that if I were to get a terminal illness I would submit every credit card advert, take out any and all loans, and mortgage everything to the hilt. Then I would travel the world and start smoking and drinking like there's no tomorrow. Yeah, stick the suckers with the bill!
Fear can drive people to do the oddest of things.
Spending your way out of financial crisis using borrowed monies (ie "hijakcked" in the case of elevated taxes), is a terrible gambit most likely to result in no permanent movement in the direction desired. If the words of Milton Friedman on this topic are not good enough for the Dems then nothing will ever satiate their foolish egos.
Loaning, taxing or printing trillions to permanently alter the recession is not counterintuitive, it is counter-intelligent and unsupported by all of history.
History clearly points out the sky will not fall, the recession will pass, even if little is done by government. This Socialist wetdream porkulus bill will make the ground drop beneath our feet, and it will last for years. Just ask the Japanese how well their near-exact same response worked for them 20 years ago.
The hubris of these politicians to think that they are smarter than anyone else in history is absolutely infuriating. These "too big to fail" fixers that are the "only ones who can do the job" may do a little something slightly different, though it will be within the vast sameness others have implemented historically, and will result in essentially the same outcome - a longer lasting immediate problem followed by a years-to-pay-off hangover left from the "cure".
The only stimulus should be tax cuts, for both individuals and businesses. Let capital flow by letting people decide how best to spend their money. Remove the cloud of insecure investment opportunities resulting from government intrusion on markets causing an artificial propping up of some business that would otherwise succeed or fail on their own. Who wants to invest in a failing business made solvent only from government largess, one that may quickly tank when the gub'mint no longer pours money into it?
I will end this tirade with a quote from Hawkeye on M.A.S.H., who could easily be referring to the current administration and Congress. Mostly I'm posting it because I was thinking of the highlighted words:
Where do the idiots think
February 3, 2009 - 19:49 ET by RR GOPWhere do the idiots think the $ for the government 'creating jobs' comes from in the first place?
Oh, that's right...they're Marxists. They think that we can just print our ration coupons and give to each according to his needs and his abilities. How silly of me to forget. Need to spend more time reading Dear Leader's little book. Please don't report me...I'll get my mind right, Boss.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
forgive my denseness, but
February 3, 2009 - 20:13 ET by Chris NormanForgive my denseness, but when Obama claims he's going to create or save 4 million jobs, how does one go about identifying or quantifying "saved jobs"? I mean, will these workers wear tags identifying themselves as workers whose jobs were saved by Obama?
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Chris... Tagged...heck
February 3, 2009 - 20:15 ET by bigtimerChris...
Tagged...heck no....more like tattooed and a chip inserted.
bt, When you think about
February 3, 2009 - 20:21 ET by Chris Normanbt,
When you think about it, it takes colossal arrogance to claim that your administration will be responsible for jobs that weren't eliminated, doesn't it? One would think that the efforts by a company's management and workers would be what was mainly responsible for "jobs saved"? At least, you'd think humbleness would demand that credit be given to where the credit will be due.
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Of course he is arrogant
February 3, 2009 - 20:56 ET by slickwillie2001This is a man that claims two autobiographies before he was 46 years old and shaves his chest and says 'we are the ones we have been waiting for'. Narcissist is his middle name.
Buy up the worst of the bad
February 4, 2009 - 02:03 ET by RR GOPBuy up the worst of the bad mortgages (like McCain said), hand them over to FHA and let them re-negotiate with the owners...go back to sub-prime if necessary...so what?
Break up Fannie and Freddie and let truly private enterprises handle the secondary mortgage market, do away with the CRE.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Heads up folks
February 4, 2009 - 06:07 ET by auldsailor362That "great american" Alcee Hastings has introduced in to the new congress HR-645, which is ostensibly a bill to use old military bases to house folks in disasters (Katrina etc). Sounds good but google it and read it. Why do we need razor wired compounds with guard towers for American citizens? Maybe these will just be the first of THE ONEs' re-education camps and of course, after Holder takes our guns how would we avoid them. To tie this back to the 2,000/4000 jobs, its easy to do if you give the gangbangers clubs and call them "civilian emergency forces".
auldsailor362 I seem to recollect
February 4, 2009 - 15:01 ET by ahusserThat Alcee Hastings, I believe one of the first or the first black federal judge, was also the first federal judge to be impeached for kickbacks and bribery. (There was also a big toodoo about he recievin his judges salary while he was in jail) Of course the folks in his district returning him term after term think he is a swell guy.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Perhaps his teleprompter
February 5, 2009 - 01:04 ET by TrospPerhaps his teleprompter was inoperative during those times or he was just reading whatever were displayed in the teleprompter...
Your guess is as good as mine.