When I first heard that House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) was considering hearings on the September jobs report, in all sincerity, I assumed it was a joke. Issa's capable of some nutty stunts, but he's not that far gone.
For those who can't watch clips online, the video, posted by ThinkProgress' Igor Volsky, shows a report on Fox Business in which the host says Issa actually intends to hold congressional hearings to investigate how the Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles its reports. On camera, Issa told Fox:
"The way it's being done with the constant revisions -- significant revisions -- tells us that it's not as exact a science as it needs to be and there's got to be a better way to get those numbers or don't put them out if they're going to be wrong by as much as half a point."
Let's pause here to note that much of this is gibberish. For example, publishing preliminary data, then clarifying it with revised data, is a standard and uncontroversial practice. Realizing that the process relies on the best information available, but it's not an "exact science" is just part of the process.
For that matter, I don't believe there's ever been an instance in which the BLS reports have been "wrong by as much as half a point" in the overall unemployment rate, making Issa's complaints that much more difficult to take seriously.
Nevertheless, the Fox Business report added that Issa said his committee has "important jurisdiction" in this area, and hearings can help lawmakers "get it right."
Even by the standards of House Republicans, we're moving dangerously close to a cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs style of governance on Capitol Hill. It's just not healthy -- for the institution, for democracy, for anyone.
I realize that the right finds it terribly inconvenient that the unemployment rate has dropped so quickly over the last couple of years -- I've never seen anyone root so aggressively for bad news -- but to argue the Bureau of Labor Statistics is at the center of a grand conspiracy whenever the job market improves is deeply ridiculous.
Not only is there no evidence to support such nonsense, we know with certainty there was no manipulation. Republicans don't have to pretend to be glad the unemployment rate is dropping, but there's no reason for them to manufacture wild-eyed theories to explain the encouraging developments.
Indeed, after last week's nuttiness (see Welch, Jack), I'd hoped conservatives would pause, realize how silly their tinfoil-hat rhetoric had become, and feel slightly chastened. Issa suggests the opposite is true.
In fairness, I should note that plenty of conservatives remain perfectly sane. AEI's Michael Strain explained last week, Something that has been floating around the internet needs to be smacked down immediately: There's no interference with the Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. The White House didn't lean on the BLS and influence them to kick the unemployment rate below 8 percent. That talk should be confined to crazytown." Former Bush administration officials said largely the same thing.
Perhaps the chairman of the House Oversight Committee missed the memo.
This kind of madness is a national embarrassment. Here's hoping the Fox Business report is wrong.
Update: The Huffington Post reports that Issa's office does not currently have plans to hold a BLS hearing, but the congressman has not ruled them out, either.
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No Steve, to say "plenty" of conservatives "remain perfectly sane" is giving cover to way too many people who don't deserve any. Where was this AEI fella when the absurd Fast and Furious "hearings" were going on? Where is he now when Issa is doing a tap dance on the graves of brave Americans? Nope, I'm quite done giving any credit to these folks. We purge our nuts, these people try to milk thiers...
Darrell Issa must have a big splitting headache these days as he has spent the entire 112th Congress chasing parked cars! -Kevo
And wasting tax dollars checking out the summer flowers around DC!
Why not just let the GOP supply the numbers, and be done with it?
Then Issa can focus on important stuff, like the War on Christmas, and Who Shot JR.
Where was Obama the night Vince Foster was murdered?
Sending the Zimmerman telegram.
D. C. Sessions..he was plotting.. OK..plotting
I'd love to see a congressional hearing into this:
NYT: A Businessman, Helping His District and Himself
"(Issa) has secured millions of dollars in Congressional earmarks for road work and public works projects that promise improved traffic and other benefits to the many commercial properties he owns here north of San Diego. In one case, more than $800,000 in earmarks he arranged will help widen a busy thoroughfare in front of a medical plaza he bought for $16.6 million."
I'll bet he does'nt call for an investigation into himself.He has a pretty shady past anyway does'nt he?
This is the best explanation as to why these kind of people keep getting elected. They certainly aren't interested in the good of the country.
I am sorry to say Darrell Issa is from California.
So am I. The rat fink.
Ah, the power of suggestion on national TV.
And tomorrow voters will sneer at the "fake" news our country is recovering.
The "investigation" doesn't have to turn up anything of course, they just have to introduce a shadow of doubt and then have it ricochet through the Republican Echo Chamber (REC for short) to have it be effective.
How many different ways can they try to steal an election beyond Lie, Cheat and Steal?
only 1 MichMan...only 1
Desperation? Insanity? Plea for attention?
Meanwhile back at the sequester talks--silence is deafening to the journalists covering this and other real issues that the republican party has run away from in hopes that we will blame their ineptitude on Obama.
Go ahead child hold your breath a little longer--I like the look of bulging eyes and purple faces.
Expect to hear more of this crap very soon - this article says the drop in Jobless Claims was at least in part because "one large state" didn't report part of their figures:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/49372827
No doubt there are fresh new conspiracies being cooked up as we speak.
I am so fed up with the garbage we have in congress. We need a better system.
Jim, we already have a 'better system'- it is called "Representative Democracy". But it only works when informed voters actually go to the polls.
I think we can see how the Roman Republic was lost as the legislature became dysfunctional and people were actually happy with Caesar's coup d'etat
First of all, I think Darrell Issa is the devil incarnate. That being said, if the Obama people have it within their power to manipulate the jobs numbers, why on earth have they waited so long to do it? An odd form of brinksmanship that simply defies logic. It seems we have people representing us in Washington, such as Issa, who do not want the economic downturn to improve. I suppose good news would completely derail their heavy-handed and blatant efforts to undermine the President of the United States. I think the actions and words of Issa and his ilk border on treason. Also, is it true that Issa, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is also a convicted felon [auto theft, carrying a concealed weapon, insurance fraud, arson etc.]? If any of that is true, what is he doing in a government position of any kind? I thought that allowing Bush and Cheney, who were arrested on numerous occasions for DUI, to hold public office was absurd. Come on people, do we always have to go to the bottom of the barrel?
Jennifer Almquist, His Congressional District of CA. (49th) is one of the more affluential districts in California. Evidently he takes care of their concerns there and typically gets reelected all the time.
He's one of the wealthiest members of Congress. And a convicted felon.
Edward D - I live in the 49th district, am a Democrat, and technically fall below the poverty line. Issa does not, never has, and never will represent me and the few others like me who are unfortunate enough to live here. I vote against him every election, but it doesn't matter because I'm so outnumbered by rich people who only care about themselves and keep voting for him because he takes care of the rich. It really sucks to have a "representative" who not only doesn't represent everyone in his district, but has made it quite clear that he doesn't want to.
I have read this before and you can research it, but here is one accounting.
http://open.salon.com/blog/district_49/2011/01/16/darrell_issa_suspected_of_arson_and_insurance_fraud_in
Darrell Issa suspected of Arson and Insurance Fraud in 1982On
this is a sign of the totalitarian impulse that is associated to conservatism.
When things don't go as you wish,point at a bogeyman.
"The pseudo conservative is a man who, in the name of upholding traditional American values and institutions and defending them against more or less fictitious dangers, consciously or unconsciously aims at their abolition.'"
-- Richard Hofstadter, 1965
It takes a special breed of wacky to say "they lied about the jobs report and that's wrong" while excusing the bald-faced lies being floated by their candidate.
Just enough to cast doubt, give the Reep base something to hold on to.
They're right, right, right, so anything else must be a conspiracy.
Well to them it makes sense since a Black Islamofacistcommunist Librul stole the Whitehouse . Acorn put him there dontcha know
It's amazing how much the right LOVES these numbers when they favor them... but when they start to favor the left... then there's a conspiracy. It's ludicrous.
Of course!
If the BLS report had said unemployment went up from 8.1% to 8.4%, not only would there be no congressional hearings. There'd be celebration in the GOP offices.
"Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."
FDR Acceptance of Renomination for President, 1936.
Yet more proof that the Republican party wants the USA to fail, wants our economy to collapse and wants an oligarchy where big donors rule and everyone else is enslaved. How can ANY patriotic American vote Republican now?
Unfortunately A LOT of our patriotic American voters are our UNINFORMED VOTERS.
exactly my thoughts! anyone who votes for a party.....and not for a person and what they stand for.....is beyond my comprehension. i'd like to say they shouldn't be allowed to vote.....but that would be playing into what the R's are trying to do to the rest of us - and i'm not into that game.
Once again Republicans are wasting our tax dollars investigating nothing. How many "gates" did the Clintons have to go through? The only thing we discovered is that Bill couldn't keep his zipper zipped. And that after millions spent on special investigations. So, here we go again, wasting tax payer $$ on nothing. How much will we spend to see if the unemployment rate is actually 7.9%? ENOUGH. This is one of the best reasons to take back the Congress! Maybe we can get a group working on REAL problems.
Darrell sure likes to spend our money on this dumb stuff!
Sounds more to me like the GOP's trying to cook up some doubt Glenn Beck style.
When is a democratic representative going demand a hearing to request that ALL the Bain voting machines be checked before they are put in place? The @!$%#birds on the right are not going to be allowed to steal this election -- but why would they have to if they think they have a decent candidate -- obviously they know he is a lying piece of scum!
Scott Brown told us last night that we've been in a recession for the last 3.5 years.
Another huge waste of tax dollars, boy these Republicans sure know how to spend, spend, spend. He needs to quit this job and go back to his old one, stealing cars.
Let's ask Bill Maher to ask him that on friday night!
Obviously, the problem is that there is insufficient supervision of the Civil Service by the elected representatives of We The People.
I can readily see how a Republican sweep next month could produce a mandate to clean house with all of those bureaucrats -- in particular, eliminate the Civil Service as it currently exists and have all Federal employees serve at the pleasure of the President and Congress.
Darrell Issa is also the nut job who just a few months ago wanted to push legislation to rename all the oceans after Ronald Reagan. I know you are saying that can't be true...oh boy but it is. This is what he spends our tax dollars on when he isn't spending it on special interest like himself.
Let's ask Bill Maher to ask him that on Real Time this friday night.
I usually don't have this reaction, usually it's just an lol or rotfl...but this time it was an immediate J.F.C. We don't just need a new congress, we need a congress period. What a waste of oxygen.
Perhaps this persistant chatter by the right about cooking the numbers is really simply a reflection of how often they themselves engage in such underhanded activities.
And this is why a half-way intelligent House Republican leadership would shut this down. As a car maker George Romney knew that you can say anything positive, why your product is better, but once you start to point out why your competitors product is garbage, you trash your industry. If the GOP seriously impinges on the BLS numbers now, all numbers under Romney Ryan will not be trustworthy. (Not that they seem so now)