I was told there would be no math- Part III

The Obama Administration's War on Math continues apace. Annoyed that ABC's Jake Tapper would calculate the amount of stimulus dollar spent for every job that the Administration claims to have created or "saved", they call it "Calculator Abuse".

So let's see. Assuming their number is right -- 160 billion divided by 1 million. Does that mean the stimulus costs taxpayers $160,000 per job?

Jared Bernstein, chief economist and senior economic advisor to the vice president, called that "calculator abuse."

He said the cost per job was actually $92,000 -- but acknowledged that estimate is for the whole stimulus package as of the end of 2010.

No one seriously questions that government spending creates economic activity. But it does so by taking money out of the economy in the first place, either directly through higher taxes or indirectly through higher debt and inflation. It shouldn't be surprising that funneling $787 billion through the inefficient filter of Washington, DC would create jobs quite ineffeciently. The Obama Administration is trying to take credit for every bit of economic activity generated by its stimulus package. It should also take responsibility for the high cost of those jobs, higher taxes, higher debt, and a drag on other parts of the economy.

Jack Tapper takes on Robert Gibbs

I know Jake Tapper as the mediocre cartoonish for the Daily Dartmouth when I was in college. He really couldn't draw that well. But Tapper is rapidly gaining a reputation as a journalist willing to ask tough questions of politicians from both parties. Tapper tries to get White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs to share their evidence that Fox News is "not a news organization".

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” -- why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That’s our opinion.

The Obama Administration is addicted to campaigning. Unable to govern, they have turned back to campaign mode, and every campaign needs an opponent. They've chosen the one cable news organization that still has an audience. I'm not sure how attacking Fox News will persuade anyone to stop watching Fox News. Or how it will inspire the few remaining CNN viewers to be stronger supporters. It appears that the Obama Administation has picked a fight because they want to be in a fight. I just don't see how they win.

It's refreshing that Tapper is questioning the White House policy of singling out critics in the press. The idea of a neutral press corps has always been a fantasy limited to journalism schools and liberal newsrooms. We pick our politicians. Our politicians don't have the right to pick their press corps.

When is $100 million bigger than $8 billion?

When the White House wants to trumpet $100 million in potential budget cuts, while downplaying $8 billion in earmarks.

Jennifer Loven and Jake Tapper, neither of whom has ever been accused of being part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, bust White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs on the President's rather meager commitment to fiscal discipline.

Watch the video from the White House Press Briefing.

And on the same day that the Administration says it will try to find $100 million to save, it proposes another $100 billion in spending.

The Heritage Foundation puts Barack Obama's newfound zeal for budget cutting into perspective:



Build a time capsule. Write a letter to your great-grandchildren. Thank them for all of their money.