INSTEAD OF ADMITTING ECONOMIC TRUTH, BUSH RESORTS TO STATISTICAL
MANIPULATION

President Bush, attempting to obscure his record as the worst economic
steward since Herbert Hoover, has become so desperate that he is exploring
ways to manipulate statistics. Just days after Bush reneged on his pledge to
create 2.6 million jobs and said with a straight face that '5.6%
unemployment is a good national number,' the New York Times uncovered a
White House report showing that the president is considering re-classifying
low-paid fast food jobs as 'manufacturing jobs' as a way to hide the massive
manufacturing job losses that have occurred during his term.

As CBS News reports, 'Since the month President Bush was inaugurated, the
economy has lost about 2.7 million manufacturing jobs.' But if the president
enacts the statistical change he is considering, this number would be
purposely obscured because lower-paying fast-food jobs would be added to
make the real manufacturing losses look smaller. Of course, fast-food jobs
typically pay much less and have fewer benefits than real manufacturing
jobs, meaning the statistical change would also obscure the fact that, under
Bush, 'in 48 of the 50 states, jobs in higher-paying industries have given
way to jobs in lower-paying industries.' All told, jobs in growing
industries like lower-paid service sector/fast food jobs are paying 21% less
than contracting industries like real manufacturing.

The president's efforts to manipulate statistics and mislead Americans is
also getting a boost from his allies on Capitol Hill. Earlier this month,
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Don Nickles (R-OK) was po"