On the Today show this morning Vice President Joe Biden and Gov. Bobby Jindal squared off over the stimulus package. Jindal argued for more tax cuts, but Biden pointed out that Louisiana is losing 400 jobs a day despite the fact that Jindal has cut taxes six times. Maybe tax cuts can’t fix an economy?
Here is the Biden interview:
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Biden said, “I’d ask the governor who among us would let our kids not have good meals; their fathers not have jobs, be kicked out of their homes, not being able to borrow money, who among us would do that? In Louisiana they are losing 400 jobs a day, what’s the governor doing about that? I hear a lot of criticism, but I never hear anything in response. What would you do?”
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) followed Biden on the show and fired back, “Look we, the Republicans, have laid out a plan for example rather than spending a billion dollars on the census and 300 million on government cars, instead of all the wasteful spending in the stimulus why not do what they first said they would do? Let’s do targeted infrastructure investments, let’s do tax breaks on the lower tax brackets on the income tax, let’s cut capital gains…Here is the fundamental disagreement we think we do need to work to get the economy moving. We think it is more important to get the private sector moving, rather than just spending government money.”
Here is the Jindal interview:
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So Jindal’s big idea is the John McCain plan? Notice the governor never mentioned what he was doing to prevent his state from losing 400 jobs a day. Jindal undercut his own argument for the power of tax cuts by mentioning that he has cut taxes six times in his state. If tax cuts are the answer, then why is Louisiana still losing 400 jobs a day? Biden hammered Jindal’s argument, and quite honestly, if I was Bobby Jindal I don’t think I would have shown my face on national television after that pathetic performance last night. Jindal showed last night and once again today, that he is not ready for the big stage.
SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) – Giving the republican response to President Obama’s speech Tuesday night, Governor Bobby Jindal pointed out fundamental differences in how republicans and democrats see the economy. “But what I don’t understand from Governor Jindal is what would he do?,” asks Joe Biden while on the Early Show.
And That rhetorical question to Governor Jindal on the CBS morning show, was followed with this. “in Louisiana there’s 400 people a day losing their jobs, what’s he doing?” asks Biden.
But that claim is wrong, if you look at the numbers from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. “In December, Louisiana was the only state in the nation besides the District of Columbia, according to the national press release that added employment over the month,” says Patty Granier with the Louisiana Workforce Commission. According to her, not only is Louisiana not losing jobs. “The state gained 3,700 jobs for the seasonally adjusted employment,” Granier said of the most recent figures.
You don’t even have to take my word for it, these are number you can check out yourself if you just go to laworks.net, there you can find the latest unemployment statistics, statistics that appear to directly contradict what the vice president said this morning.
The latest stats show this – from the week ending January 17th there were 4,527 claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana, for the next week, that number receded to 4,179.
Folks who crunch the numbers credit a diverse economy for Louisiana’s resilience to unemployment.
It’s unclear where the VP gets his numbers, but they certainly don’t match numbers from the labor department. The unemployment rate in Louisiana has gone up, from 5.3 to 5.9. Some blame that on a bigger workforce in the state. However, that rate is still less than the national average, which sits at 7.2%. We called the Whitehouse press office today and left a message for the vice president’s office, but have not received a call back.
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Wow, Mr Measly, you just suck up the Democratic spin machine’s information like momma’s warm, homemade gumbo. I don’t guess you felt the need to actually verify the information??? Turns out it was WRONG!
I wish the governor had thrown that back in Biden’s pretentious face. Too bad he didn’t. But that doesn’t exculpate you from reporting incorrect information in your editorial.
Where’s the EDIT where you add the information from laworks.net? I guess when you lack any journalistic integrity, it really wouldn’t bother you to leave this garbage out here.
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Your insults hurt so much, I think that I just might have to stop writing forever, hahahaha!! By the way, before you believe the state’s number you might want to investigate how they calculate the unemployment rate. So you see Fred, I don’t really care. It isn’t my responsibility to correct the number. If Biden’s number was wrong, which it wasn’t, once again the numbers are calculated differently, which you would understand if you had half a brain or any background in public policy, it is up to Lil’ Bobby to correct the VP if he thinks he thinks he was wrong. Once again, weak Jindal didn’t say anything and proved that he is not ready for prime time.
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This is why the News Media in the US is the most corrupt institution in America. You cannot be serious when you say, “It isn’t my responsibility to correct the number.” Maybe I’m the crazy one, but regardless of whether Biden’s number was right or whether the numbers from the state of Louisiana (both of whom have motive to falsify on behalf of their side of the argument, I do recognize) ANY reputible and responsible media outlet should do it’s homework to comment intelligently about the issues of the day. That means CHECKING THE NUMBERS YOURSELF. Especially if you’re going to take sides as you do.
So you prove one of two things:1) you are not reputible or responsible in your journalistic integrity, and therefore should be ignored by all; or 2) your bias is blinding you and hindering you from being a reliable source of actual news, and therefore you should be ignored by all.
You decide which it is, but the result is the same, which is why I suspect I’m only the third person to post a comment here.
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Last Wednesday morning on the CBS Early Show, Vice President Joe “he just can’t help himself” Biden, retaliated against Jindal by asking: “But what I don’t understand from Governor Jindal is what would ‘he’ do? In Louisiana, there’s 400 people a day losing their jobs (note: Biden is referring to the month of December 2008). What’s ‘he’ doing?”
400 Jobs a day? Wow. That’s 146,000 people annually! And an amazing statement for the next in line to Presidency to make on national TV, especially when it’s a bald-faced lie (big surprise).
Now let’s look at the real, official numbers from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. In reality, according to Patty Granier of the LWC, LA was the only state in the nation [besides the District of Columbia] that “added” employment over the month of December. Don’t believe it? Contact them yourself: http://www.laworks.net/
Biden clearly is in need of a rectal exam because the numbers he keeps pulling from is gray ass are “always” wrong (maybe he couldn’t get the the right “web number” hhhhh!!!!!).
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I see a number of people suggesting that the Dems check the real numbers at http://www.laworks.net , as if they had done so themselves. But clearly they haven’t or they’re completely retarded, because the site says, and I quote:
“The number of unemployed in Louisiana in December 2008 increased to 121,949 from 108,553 in November”
That means the unemployed rose by 13,396! Now, if we get out our calculators and divide that number by 31, we get 432 people PER DAY. See how that works?
Next time I suggest you brainwashed Republicans check YOUR numbers.
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There are reasons to be proud of Louisiana, but it would be misplaced pride to attribute any gains that Louisiana has made as a political achievement. Since the Kathrina disaster, money has been funneling into Louisiana, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the state has been experiencing an increase in jobs. Although, Gov. Jindal mistakenly ascribes his Republican principles for regaining the standards of living in his state; yet, he seems to be forgetting all the aid that Louisiana has received from the government and private sector. The American people have donated money and their time (a volunteer workforce) in an effort to help Louisiana recover from Kathrina; for that reason, to hear Gov. Jindal try to capitalize on the humanitarian aid his state has receive is reproachable.
Gov. Jindal has lost all creditability with his meaningless rebuttle.
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