FOX Fudging-the-Numbers Freak-Out

BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
by Jeffrey Joseph

No stranger to widespread misinformation, something Roger Ailes unconvincingly defends, FOX personalities have taken to the air in the hopes of misrepresenting President Obama's stimulus plan and the budget for fiscal year 2011. Unlike another fox-themed fudging, the effects of FOX's misrepresentation intends to sour people on the president's efficacy, but with some worthwhile analysis, FOX's attempts work to no avail.

Recent numbers from the government indicated that stimulus funding helped save or create almost 600,000 jobs. Given the record of FOX hosts against the Obama Administration, one might expect them to ignore any job creation from the stimulus. Instead, the FOX & Friends hosts complained that the finding showed the stimulus provided job creation to a degree "less than many people had hoped," as Alisyn Camerota put it. Camerota later criticized any attempt to create another stimulus plan "when much -- half, I think -- of the $787 billion hasn't been spent yet, and the half that has been spent has only created the 600,000 jobs, if you believe the website. But again, it's a moving target, because you heard 2 million, 1.5, then thousands and thousands, and 600,000."

However, the FOX crew failed to recognize that the figure only accounted for those jobs saved or created in the final quarter of 2009. Later in the show, Peter Orzag of the Office of Management and Budget also explained why administration officials had referenced numbers as high as two million jobs created or saved as the report's figures "only applied to about a fifth of the recovery act funding, so when you scale it up, you're talking about one and a half to two million jobs created or saved as a result of the recovery act."  So FOX tried to complain about 600,000 jobs only to find out the administration could claim responsibility for two million. No one expects that to be enough for them, either.

In keeping with the theme of attacking President Obama's ability to handle the economy, FOX later aired Art Laffer, previously of President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board, to discuss his opinions about the 2011 budget plan from President Obama. Quickly, Laffer rushed to claim that all of the Bush tax cuts would expire in 2011. However, President Obama already planned to keep tax cuts available for working families making less than $250,000.

Laffer also implied that the budget creates new taxes when he said, "They're raising the highest personal marginal income tax rate from 35 to 39.6. They're raising the capital gains tax, the dividend tax, the inheritance tax, and payroll taxes." However, all but the payroll tax actually have increases simply due to an expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the legislation providing for the end of said cuts all got passage by a Republican Congress and president. A responsible discussion would have included that information rather than simply blaming the current administration, but FOX is hardly renown for its display of the facts.

Aiming to undermine President Obama's ability to stabilize the economy, FOX mostly illustrated their inability to comprehend the numbers and willingness to misinform when they can. As they strive to be the media arm of the GOP, though, they can probably write it off by stating what may become the new party response on whether they will correct any mistakes:  "Oh, no. Accidents happy, baby." Hence, it behooves most to simply avoid the clear attempts to make, rather than report, news -- and to choose to Turn Off FOX.

Please send in tips and success stories to turnofffox@gmail.com, look out for us on Twitter @turnofffox, and join us at BuzzFlash in the Campaign to Turn Off FOX News.

Originally posted at Turn Off FOX.

BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

Technorati Tags: Alerts FOX News FOX & Friends Alisyn Camerota Art Laffer Budget Stimulus