Fox’s Scott misled on Bush’s “job gains” while suggesting media unfairly saying “this is the Bush economy”
On the July 11 edition of Fox News’ Fox News Watch, host Jon Scott misleadingly asserted that “there were month after month after month of job gains in the Bush administration. And yet, you know, these days, this is the Bush economy as portrayed in the media.” However, over the final year of George W. Bush’s presidency, the economy lost more than 4 million jobs, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the unemployment rate rose from 4.9 percent in January 2008 to 7.6 percent in January 2009, and the employment-population ratio dropped from 62.9 percent in January 2008 to 60.5 percent in January 2009.
Media Matters for America has previously documented other media figures misrepresenting employment numbers under the Bush administration or suggesting that President Obama is to blame for job losses that occurred under Bush or within weeks of Obama taking office.
From the July 11 edition of Fox News’ Fox News Watch:
SCOTT: What about what the vice president said there, though. When he says — when he says, gosh, we just didn’t understand how bad this economy was. They had promised to keep unemployment under what, eight, 8.5 percent.
OFF-CAMERA VOICE: Yeah.
JAMES PINKERTON (Fox News contributor): They said it would peak at eight — eight.
SCOTT: Peak at eight. OK, so why aren’t they taking more heat in the media and the press?
ANDREA TANTAROS (Fox News political contributor): Well, because the media, I mean, they’re scripting media questions, they’re cozy with the media. We know this. I mean, what’s the saying? Facts are stubborn things, though. They actually have to report that the numbers and the jobs just aren’t being created. When it comes to Joe Biden, I mean, Republicans don’t need to run against — put up a message against Obama, his own vice president is doing a great job.
I think the double standard here, though, is Bush made tons of gaffes, and they were covered through and through. Joe Biden gets barely any coverage.
SCOTT: Let me throw this question at you, because you’re representing the liberal side here, but, you know, there were month after month after month of job gains in the Bush administration. And yet, you know, these days, this is the Bush economy as portrayed in the media.
KIRSTEN POWERS (Fox News political analyst): Really? Cause I feel like it’s the Obama economy. I feel like it’s been –
SCOTT: Do you think it is now?
POWERS: I think that people — yeah, I think the sentiment is that this belongs to Obama. Yes, he inherited a bad situation. But, you know –
SCOTT: Joe Biden was trying to turn it into the Bush economy.
OFF-CAMERA VOICE: Obama wouldn’t agree.
POWERS: Well, I’m sure — I’m sure they’re going to continue to try to do that, but I don’t think anybody is really buying that anymore.
