Right Wing Talking Point Straight From Eric Cantor And George Will Constantly Used On DU (UE Cap 8%)

[Beetwasher]

"Cantor and other Republicans say Obama promised stimulus would keep unemployment rates below 8 percent"

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/09/eric-cantor/Cantor-and-other-republicans-say-obama-promised-s/

"Will: Obama said stimulus would cap unemployment at 8 percent"

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/13/george-will/will-obama-said-stimulus-would-cap-unemployment-8-/

'Says that President Obama said if Congress passed the economic stimulus bill, "we would have unemployment at 8 percent and no higher. And it went higher."
George Will on Sunday, July 11th, 2010 in ABC's "This Week"'

--snip--


Now we all know where this pathetic, right wing smear comes from, so when you see it on DU, you know where it's coming from. This is purely for informational sourcing purposes. If people are going to propogate bullshit, at least know the supplier.

Oh, and here's the kicker, it is of course total bullshit:

What we saw from the administration in January was a projection, not a promise. And it was a projection that came with heavy disclaimers.

"It should be understood that all of the estimates presented in this memo are subject to significant margins of error," the report states. "There is the more fundamental uncertainty that comes with any estimate of the effects of a program. Our estimates of economic relationships and rules of thumb are derived from historical experience and so will not apply exactly in any given episode. Furthermore, the uncertainty is surely higher than normal now because the current recession is unusual both in its fundamental causes and its severity."

There's also a footnote that goes along with the chart that states: "Forecasts of the unemployment rate without the recovery plan vary substantially. Some private forecasters anticipate unemployment rates as high as 11% in the absence of action."

That sure doesn't sound like a full-fledged promise to us.
We think it's a big stretch to call an economic projection a "promise." The administration never characterized it that way and included plenty of disclaimers saying the predictions had "significant margins of error" and a higher degree of uncertainty due to a recession that is "unusual both in its fundamental causes and its severity." And so we rule the statement by Cantor — and other Republicans who have said the same thing — Barely True.

[johnaries]

1. I've seen a lot of RW talking points used here on DU. Thanks for

pointing out one of them. K&R,

[MrsCorleone]

9. A lot of RW talking points on so-called Progressive radio, as well.

I hope that a tough economy is not encouraging progressive radio and TV hosts to sell us out just to further their careers.

[girl gone mad]

2. Umm..

This was the White House's own projection:

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zipplewrath]

4. The qualification will now begin

The semanticists are now going to go appalectic on why that isn't the same as what Will and company are talking about. It will ammount to mostly hair splitting, and will ignore that the error in their predictions was, well, predictable when they made it.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Beetwasher]

15. Yes Or No, Did Obama PROMISE Anything And LIE About This Issue?

Are you defending the bullshit Republican talking point?

[zipplewrath]

19. They made a prediction

And it was terribly wrong. They have yet to acknowledge how wrong they were, despite them being warned as such. Look at the plot to which I was responding. What actually has happened is vastly closer to the trends they were predicting without stimulus. They are now claiming that the unemployment rate would have been upwards of 13% with out the stimulus.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zipplewrath]

21. Try decaffinated

She has not admitted that the stimulus was too small, and that her projections AT THE TIME were known by some to be wrong.

You really ought to calm down and try the new "civility" approach they are advocating around here.

[Beetwasher]

22. Bullshit, Of Course They Have That's Why The Say WE NEED MORE STIMULUS

You're insistence on constantly repeating bullshit from Eric Cantor is way more uncivil than my curse words.

[ProSense]

7. Here is the President in July 2009

President Obama Predicts Unemployment Will Hit 10% This Year

[Beetwasher]

14. Was That A PROMISE?

"Cantor and other Republicans say Obama promised stimulus would keep unemployment rates below 8 percent".

Are you defending Cantor's take on this issue?

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Still a Democrat]

8. Important difference

Many on the left objected to the stimulus as being too small. The right objected to it for a different reason, saying it would produce little or no job growth. Hence, both "opposed" what Obama did for very different reasons.

At any rate, Obama never *promised* 8% and that suggestion is disingenuous no matter where it comes from. It was a good faith estimate. The stimulus did reduce unemployment from what it would have been, without a doubt.

[JamesA1102]

10. Yes many DUers use RW talking points

They hate the President as much as the far right does.

[Honeycombe8]

25. I have noticed that, too. nt

[GoldMedals4U]

11. Thanks for that

And I'm still waiting to hear why republicans think it's Obama's fault the unemployment hasn't gone down more?

[JNelson6563]

12. Welcome to the new DU.

:hi:

[Scurrilous]

13. Thanks.

K & R :thumbsup:

[emulatorloo]

16. Kick and Rec. Republicans deliberately "misinterpret" or twist things all the time

THANKS

[Beetwasher]

17. Indeed, Republicans Are Known For Doing That

[treestar]

18. K&R

I see plenty of right wing tone on DU too. The way things are put and the values espoused.

[Blue_Tires]

23. kick for truth

[butterfly77]

24. Kicked&Recommended...