Bush just pulls stuff out of his...

It's called "making shit up":

Bush, using the same underlying economic data, said the unemployment rate — 6.2 percent in July — would have been a full percentage point higher had his three successive tax cuts not been enacted. "And as many as 1.5 million Americans would not have the jobs they have today," the president said.

I would love to see the underlying assumptions of that claim, except I doubt there are any. I mean, the reality of the matter is much, much more different:

Democrats presented a far gloomier view in their radio address. They pointed to the net loss of 3.1 million jobs since Bush took office in January 2001 and a budget deficit expected to soar to $455 billion this year [...]

Democratic Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia blamed Bush's "massive tax cuts" for the rising federal deficits and for forcing states to cut vital services.

"Right now, this nation is on track for the worst job creation record since the Great Depression. No president since Herbert Hoover 70 years ago has actually lost jobs over the course of his term," Warner said.

Bush has the unenviable task of claiming he's been a good steward of the economy despite having lost 3 million jobs and driven the nation to sky-high record deficits.

So if the numbers aren't with you, well, then, he has no choice but to make shit up.

Posted August 02, 2003 09:12 AM