Outside the Beltway

Outside the Beltway

Pelosi: ‘500 Americans Lose Their Jobs’

James Joyner
33

Nancy Pelosi has a powerful argument for passing the stimulus:  “Every month that we do not have an economic recovery passage, 500 million Americans lose their jobs.”    As Jim Geraghty notes, “That’s astonishing, considering the population of the United States is about 300 million.”

Kate McMillan has the video:

During the primaries, Barack Obama famously claimed, “I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.”  Aside from some jokes at his expense, he was given a pass because we were all pretty sure he knew there were only 50 states and that he was either just tired or was counting DC and the various territories that held Democratic primaries and caucuses.

One wonders, though, if Nancy Pelosi knew how many people are in the country.  I’m guessing she does now.

UPDATE:  Glenn Reynolds reckons, “I don’t know that this really makes Nancy Pelosi ‘dumber than soap.’ But if Sarah Palin had said this, it would be taken as proof that she was unsuited for national politics.”  Ouch.  And heh, indeed.

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33 responses to “Pelosi: ‘500 Americans Lose Their Jobs’”

  1. Eneils Bailey Avatar
    Eneils Bailey

    “That’s astonishing, considering the population of the United States is about 300 million.”

    Yes it is…

    But, on the other hand, that stuff passes off for being well-informed and intelligent for most of the democrats in Washington these days.

  2. Triumph Avatar
    Triumph

    One wonders, though, if Nancy Pelosi knew how many people are in the country.

    Pelosi is a liberal. All liberals are self-absorbed, thinking they are the only people who matter in the world; thus, she probably has no idea how many people there are in the country. She’s a liberal.

  3. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    Even if she had meant 500,000 I don’t believe that would have been right. Last year about 2.5 million jobs were lost, on average roughly 200,000 per month.

    However, let’s not lose track of the real problems while we get absorbed in correcting the errors of politicians who, unfortunately, can’t be expected to know any better. Since the start of the year something between 250,000 and 310,000 jobs have been announced to be cut.

    Job growth has been phlegmatic for nearly a decade, barely keeping up with the 50,000 per month needed to keep up with what’s quaintly called the “natural increase”. Unless this recovery is a lot different from the last I don’t see how the job cuts will ever be made up.

    I certainly don’t think that we’re going to make it up by adding government jobs or that federal subsidies will turn the tide. I don’t know what the solution is.

  4. charles austin Avatar
    charles austin

    At 500,000,000 a month, by the end of the year the whole world will be unemployed.

  5. Eneils Bailey Avatar
    Eneils Bailey

    I certainly don’t think that we’re going to make it up by adding government jobs or that federal subsidies will turn the tide. I don’t know what the solution is.

    Think about it…

    I don’t know what the solution is.

    It is certainly not let the people who brought us the “Credit Crisis” to provide the solution.

    These people could no sit on a shitter and figure out how to relieve themselves without applying for Federal funds.

  6. Boyd Avatar
    Boyd

    However, let’s not lose track of the real problems while we get absorbed in correcting the errors of politicians who, unfortunately, can’t be expected to know any better.

    To quote Tim The Tool Man Taylor, whoa, back the truck up, Dave.

    We can’t expect the Speaker of the House of Representatives to understand how many people are losing their jobs while she’s speaking about passing a bill that supposed to help relieve that unemployment? Have our expectations of our lawmakers really fallen to such a level?

    If so, maybe all is lost, and we should all collectively bend over and kiss our asses goodbye right now. The end is near.

  7. G.A.Phillips Avatar
    G.A.Phillips

    At 500,000,000 a month, by the end of the year the whole world will be unemployed.

    lol and the world of Greyskull too.

  8. Raoul Avatar
    Raoul

    Obama was not given a pass- I heard repeatedly when I never heard the original. These errors are essentially oral typos- give it a rest unless they are repeated or there is a tendency (a la Bush).

  9. Eneils Bailey Avatar
    Eneils Bailey

    Nancy Pelosi,
    There is an apt description here..

    But I won’t use it here…
    Dumb C**t.

    I lived for eighteen months in San Francisco, and that is a compliment, given the fact you have to navigate the streets with being pissed on, hit on, or crapped on..

  10. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    The unemployment rate went from 6.8% to 7.2% from November to December. I don’t know exactly how many people are looking for work, but assuming it’s around 150 million people, that’s an increase of 600,000 people per month.

    So I think the current rate is pretty close to 500 thousand.

    Look, politicians talk constantly. They’re going to mess up a word here and there. Is that now illegal? Let’s not be stupid here.

  11. G.A.Phillips Avatar
    G.A.Phillips

    I lived for eighteen months in San Francisco, and that is a compliment, given the fact you have to navigate the streets with being pissed on, hit on, or crapped on..

    I feel your pain bro, ever been to Madison WI.?

  12. Eneils Bailey Avatar
    Eneils Bailey

    If the democrats were smart, had any idea of holding onto power, and getting their agenda passed in Congress, they should flush this woman like an un-welcomed diarrhea crap.

  13. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    We can’t expect the Speaker of the House of Representatives to understand how many people are losing their jobs while she’s speaking about passing a bill that supposed to help relieve that unemployment? Have our expectations of our lawmakers really fallen to such a level?

    No. Those have been our realistic expectations for the last 200 years. Check the contemporaneous comments about the Congress. Check Charles Farrar Browne. Check Sam Clemens. Check H. L. Mencken.

  14. Eneils Bailey Avatar
    Eneils Bailey

    GA P

    Never been to Madison. Always wanted to go there.
    I love weird places, I would hop a plane tomorrow, and go to San Francisco, if someone would pay the freight.

    The geography and the land is nice, too bad it is infested with the rodents of the human society.

  15. markm Avatar
    markm

    These errors are essentially oral typos- give it a rest unless they are repeated or there is a tendency

    I hate to play the game but can you imagine if “X” said that?. If, Sarah Palin said that some would insist she’s not ready for prime time…and the media would cover it like a blanket.

  16. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    Does anyone remember the claims of the Reagan years that (Insert huge-ass number here) of Homeless were dying, daily? This is simply more of the same.

    What Triumph says in jest, I say with assurity:

    Pelosi is a liberal. All liberals are self-absorbed, thinking they are the only people who matter in the world; thus, she probably has no idea how many people there are in the country. All she knows is she needs to sell this as a crisis, or the pork bill suppsoedly set to fix it, isn’t going to get passed.

  17. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    I’m not singling out Speaker Pelosi. I think that most Congressmen are innumerate. I doubt that most of them have taken a math class since they were in junior high, back in the 1950’s. Numbers have little meaning for them.

  18. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    un-welcomed diarrhea crap

    Isn’t that just a bit redundant? I’m no fan of Nancy Pelosi, but get a grip, man.

  19. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    I don’t know exactly how many people are looking for work, but assuming it’s around 150 million people

    ???

    The total number of people in the country is about 300 million. Of those the total civilian labor force is about 150 million. If 150 million people were looking for work, that would account for every man, woman, and child.

  20. Eneils Bailey Avatar
    Eneils Bailey

    un-welcomed diarrhea crap

    Isn’t that just a bit redundant? I’m no fan of Nancy Pelosi, but get a grip, man.

    You are right on that one, bubby.

    But, there is a certain symmetry and simile associated with Nancy Pelosi and a good crap.

  21. odograph Avatar
    odograph

    Calculated risk is reporting that the number was 500 thousand, which makes 500 million a slip.

    Say what? (funny things politicians say)

  22. just me Avatar
    just me

    I think she was pulling her number out of her butt. Basically it is partisan inflation to make a bad situation sound worse in a sound bite, she just didn’t think carefully about her inflated number.

    I am positive that neither Palin or Bush would have gotten a pass on that kind of inflated number, and the gaff would have appeared in some fashion on every fake comedy news show and late night show. I am curious to see if hers even makes a blip on their radar.

  23. Drew Avatar
    Drew

    You guys are just denyers. Pelosi is right. And what about the $22 coffee I hear about at Starbucks. And the fact that the poor pay all the taxes….and a cab ride is $1000 for 10 minutes….and Madonna earns every red cent she gets….and the oil companies make $4.00 profit per gallon………and the rich don’t pay taxes……and Obama will bring integrity and honesty to Washington……..

    Oh, and back in the real world, here in Chicago they want to add about 10 cents a gallon to the govt gas tax. Why??? ‘Cause prices are low, and they don’t think anyone will notice the rape.

    Now THAT’s government.

  24. odograph Avatar
    odograph

    The spam filter doesn’t like this bloomberg story:

    “ADP Says U.S. Companies Reduced Payrolls by 522,000”

    I can’t give you a link

  25. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    The total number of people in the country is about 300 million. Of those the total civilian labor force is about 150 million. If 150 million people were looking for work, that would account for every man, woman, and child.

    Sorry, Dave, I was fumbling for the term describing the divisor in the unemployment calculation. “Looking for work” should have been something like “available to work.” Apologies for confusing you.

  26. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    Thanks for the clarification, Franklin. Yes, I was confused.

  27. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    By the way according to the Census Bureau the number of adults (over 18, less than 65) is about 182 million. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the number employed in the civilian labor force is about 144 million.

  28. Clovis Avatar
    Clovis

    Same sort of math used in the “10,000 dead in Kansas tornado” that turned out to be 12.

    I’m sure these are just slips, but they always seem to slip towards the doom ‘n gloom side.

  29. Grewgills Avatar
    Grewgills

    I lived for eighteen months in San Francisco, and that is a compliment, given the fact you have to navigate the streets with being pissed on, hit on, or crapped on..

    If that’s not your bag I would suggest that the next time you come to the bay area you don’t wear the target beanie and the assless pants.

  30. Neil1030 Avatar
    Neil1030

    Remember when Gingrich complained that Clinton made him get off the back door of Air Force 1? He was skewered for that. NY Post had a caricature of him on the front page labeling him a crybaby, or something like that. So will Pelosi be flayed in the same way for saying something so monumentally stupid? I doubt it.

    I’m not the first here to say it either but, can you imagine if GWB had come up with that? They would never have let him get away with it.

  31. steve s Avatar
    steve s

    I see that Glenn’s still a partisan hack. Comparing Pelosi’s flub with Palin is like comparing Neil Armstrong’s flub with Dan Quayle.

    The Party of Stupid rolls on.

  32. Joe R. Avatar
    Joe R.

    Obama was not given a pass- I heard repeatedly when I never heard the original. These errors are essentially oral typos- give it a rest unless they are repeated or there is a tendency (a la Bush).

    No, no no (in this case, anyway). She was making it up as she went along. As Dave Schuler pointed out above, even if she meant “500 thousand”, she was still full of it. In fact, that’s what I find outrageous about it. She had no intention of saying a fact-based statement at all, and would have probably gotten away with it if not for her “oral typo”.

  33. Joe R. Avatar
    Joe R.

    Looks like I might have been wrong. If the linked stories are right, maybe the number was 500 thousand, which makes my outrage misplaced.

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