...that leads Republican politicians and pundits to scratch their heads and mutter, "How come people are so pessimistic about the economy?  Look at the unemployment rate!  Look at how we added 92,000 jobs last month!  Why are Americans so ignorant of all the economic joy that's right in front of their faces?  We don't get it!"

The answer, of course, is that the numbers being spouted as fantastic are, in reality, crap.  If you factor in the number of people who have simply given up looking for work (which the government no longer factors in), the unemployment rate would probably be double.

Be sure to listen carefully whenever the White House talks about jobs.  They'll always cite the "3.2 million jobs created since August of 2003."  Because, of course, if they were to cite their performance on jobs since the start of Bush's "presidency," his record would be pitiful.

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