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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-news-blog/2012/oct/05/rightwingers-tweet-unemployment-conspiracy
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Rightwingers seek tweet revenge with claims of unemployment conspiracy | Rightwingers seek tweet revenge with claims of unemployment conspiracy |
| (30 days later) | |
| The unemployment rate has fallen below 8%! For the first time since January 2009! Surely time for Americans everywhere to come together and celebrate the fact that more people in the US have jobs? | The unemployment rate has fallen below 8%! For the first time since January 2009! Surely time for Americans everywhere to come together and celebrate the fact that more people in the US have jobs? |
| No. Not at all. Instead, conservatives are furious. According to some, the only way the unemployment rate can possibly have fallen is through manipulation and scheming – most likely by shadowy, Chicago-based figures. (For which, read "the Obama campaign".) | No. Not at all. Instead, conservatives are furious. According to some, the only way the unemployment rate can possibly have fallen is through manipulation and scheming – most likely by shadowy, Chicago-based figures. (For which, read "the Obama campaign".) |
| Here are some of the people who do not like falling unemployment. At least, not under a Democratic president, a month out from an election. | Here are some of the people who do not like falling unemployment. At least, not under a Democratic president, a month out from an election. |
| Jack Welch | Jack Welch |
| Welch, former chief executive of General Electric, now describes himself as "Author, commentator, founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute." He could add "snark": | Welch, former chief executive of General Electric, now describes himself as "Author, commentator, founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute." He could add "snark": |
| Unbelievable jobs numbers..these Chicago guys will do anything..can't debate so change numbers | Unbelievable jobs numbers..these Chicago guys will do anything..can't debate so change numbers |
| — Jack Welch (@jack_welch) October 5, 2012 | — Jack Welch (@jack_welch) October 5, 2012 |
| Welch attracted support from the Republican congressman Allen West: | Welch attracted support from the Republican congressman Allen West: |
| 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 | 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 |
| — Allen West (@AllenWest) October 5, 2012 | — Allen West (@AllenWest) October 5, 2012 |
| To be fair to Welch, he was out there trolling the unemployment figures before it became mainstream to do so. | To be fair to Welch, he was out there trolling the unemployment figures before it became mainstream to do so. |
| @dmacd11 at 7.9 it would be Chicago and labor Sec in action | @dmacd11 at 7.9 it would be Chicago and labor Sec in action |
| — Jack Welch (@jack_welch) October 5, 2012 | — Jack Welch (@jack_welch) October 5, 2012 |
| On Thursday night, he was already predicting skullduggery, tweeting to a man called Don MacDonald that if the jobs numbers were at 7.9% he would deem it was "Chicago and labor Sec in action". | On Thursday night, he was already predicting skullduggery, tweeting to a man called Don MacDonald that if the jobs numbers were at 7.9% he would deem it was "Chicago and labor Sec in action". |
| Joe Scarborough | Joe Scarborough |
| The irascible host of Morning Joe on MSNBC repeatedly questioned the methodology on Friday's show. He repeatedly said the 7.8% figure "did not make sense and was "confusing". CNN's rival show, Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien, featured a more analytical discussion with Ken Rogoff, a Harvard professor and former IMF chief economist, who was also sceptical – but on the more factual basis that unemployment remained high and the economy sluggish. | The irascible host of Morning Joe on MSNBC repeatedly questioned the methodology on Friday's show. He repeatedly said the 7.8% figure "did not make sense and was "confusing". CNN's rival show, Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien, featured a more analytical discussion with Ken Rogoff, a Harvard professor and former IMF chief economist, who was also sceptical – but on the more factual basis that unemployment remained high and the economy sluggish. |
| But Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, returned to the methodology repeatedly in the final half-hour of the show. Expect liberal-leaning MSNBC to shift the tone of its coverage somewhat during the day. | But Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, returned to the methodology repeatedly in the final half-hour of the show. Expect liberal-leaning MSNBC to shift the tone of its coverage somewhat during the day. |
| Conn Carroll | Conn Carroll |
| I don't think BLS cooked numbers. I think a bunch of Dems lied about getting jobs. That would have same effect. | I don't think BLS cooked numbers. I think a bunch of Dems lied about getting jobs. That would have same effect. |
| — Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) October 5, 2012 | — Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) October 5, 2012 |
| Conn Carroll, senior writer at the Washington Examiner, does not think the US Bureau of Labor Statistics manipulated the figures. Let's be reasonable here. It was just a load of Democrats lying. | Conn Carroll, senior writer at the Washington Examiner, does not think the US Bureau of Labor Statistics manipulated the figures. Let's be reasonable here. It was just a load of Democrats lying. |
| Keith Urbahn | Keith Urbahn |
| No, there's nothing at all curious about the last jobs report diving to 7.8% unemployment before the election. | No, there's nothing at all curious about the last jobs report diving to 7.8% unemployment before the election. |
| — Keith Urbahn (@keithurbahn) October 5, 2012 | — Keith Urbahn (@keithurbahn) October 5, 2012 |
| Urbahn is Donald Rumsfeld's former chief of staff. Until he joined the BLS conspiracy, his most famous tweet was about Osama Bin Laden being dead. He was one of the first to pump out the news on 1 May. | Urbahn is Donald Rumsfeld's former chief of staff. Until he joined the BLS conspiracy, his most famous tweet was about Osama Bin Laden being dead. He was one of the first to pump out the news on 1 May. |
| Ross from the Tea Party | Ross from the Tea Party |
| So the unemployment rate is 7.8%. Well Rush was right, the Obama Admin did manipulate the numbers to get it under 8% b4 the election. #tcot | So the unemployment rate is 7.8%. Well Rush was right, the Obama Admin did manipulate the numbers to get it under 8% b4 the election. #tcot |
| — Ross . (@indyrallen) October 5, 2012 | — Ross . (@indyrallen) October 5, 2012 |
| If that's Rush Limbaugh that Ross is referring to, then perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised. Couple this with the fact a later tweet has the Tea Party hashtag and I think we can safely conclude where Ross is coming from. | If that's Rush Limbaugh that Ross is referring to, then perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised. Couple this with the fact a later tweet has the Tea Party hashtag and I think we can safely conclude where Ross is coming from. |
| The unemployment numbers WILL BE CORRECTED to reflect the actual rate...after Mitt takes the oath of office. #tcot #teaparty | The unemployment numbers WILL BE CORRECTED to reflect the actual rate...after Mitt takes the oath of office. #tcot #teaparty |
| — Ross . (@indyrallen) October 5, 2012 | — Ross . (@indyrallen) October 5, 2012 |
| Voices of reason | Voices of reason |
| Not all conservatives followed Welch down the road to fairyland, however. Tony Fratto, a former Bush White House aide, pointed out that for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be caught cooking the books would be a huge scandal: | Not all conservatives followed Welch down the road to fairyland, however. Tony Fratto, a former Bush White House aide, pointed out that for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be caught cooking the books would be a huge scandal: |
| BLS is not manipulating data. Evidence of such would be a scandal of enormous proportions & loss of credibility. | BLS is not manipulating data. Evidence of such would be a scandal of enormous proportions & loss of credibility. |
| — Tony Fratto (@TonyFratto) October 5, 2012 | — Tony Fratto (@TonyFratto) October 5, 2012 |
| Philip Klein, a senior editorial writer on the Washington Examiner, agreed. | Philip Klein, a senior editorial writer on the Washington Examiner, agreed. |
| BLS is comprised of career professionals. Don't see how anybody could argue it's manipulated by WH without hard evidence. | BLS is comprised of career professionals. Don't see how anybody could argue it's manipulated by WH without hard evidence. |
| — Philip Klein (@philipaklein) October 5, 2012 | — Philip Klein (@philipaklein) October 5, 2012 |
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