Where Did They Get The Numbers?

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article this morning on President Obama's claim that the stimulus package has saved or created 150,000 jobs.  That is quite an accomplishment since only 5 percent of the stimulus money has been spent.  It it also an amazing figure when you realize that the current unemployment rate is 9.4 percent.  We were told that if we passed the stimulus package, it would not increase over 8 percent.  Ooops.  The article points out:

"You created a situation where you cannot be wrong," said the Montana Democrat (Senator Max Baucus). "If the economy loses two million jobs over the next few years, you can say yes, but it would've lost 5.5 million jobs. If we create a million jobs, you can say, well, it would have lost 2.5 million jobs. You've given yourself complete leverage where you cannot be wrong, because you can take any scenario and make yourself look correct."

It would be nice if the news media would take a close look at these numbers and investigate their source.  If they cannot find a source for these numbers, the numbers should be exposed at the propaganda they are.

Tony Fratto, a senior member of the White House communications shop during the George Bush administration, has stated, "You would think that any self-respecting White House press corps would show some of the same skepticism toward President Obama's jobs claims that they did toward President Bush's tax cuts. But I'm still waiting."