October 9, 2013

Mary Burke's job-creation claim rated "Half True."

By the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's fact-checker.
The numerical part of the claim is on target -- Burke’s tenure was pre-recession and despite gains Wisconsin has not yet rebounded to 2007 levels. But Burke overstates the credit that she and Doyle deserve for the 2007 figure, and skips past the recession that helps explain the statistical truth.
Burke, the Democratic challenger to Scott Walker in the 2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial race, was Commerce Secretary under Doyle, the Democratic Governor who was in office until January 2011. Since Burke left in the end of 2007, she's able to make statement about her time in office that distract us from from the fact that there were 3 more years of Doyle, and the bad numbers in those years can't be pinned on Walker.

ADDED:  Typo in the headline corrected. I apologize for creating the false hope that there could be something called a "job-creation clam."

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Job-Creation Clam says:

I Will Turn an Unemployed Grain of Sand into an Employed Tax-Paying Pearl. This is a Time-Consuming Process, So Please Be Patient with Job-Creation Clam.

David said...

It has always seemed to me that half true and false are equivalent. "The whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

Anonymous said...

Job-Creation Clam says:

Please Do Not Eat or Shuck Job-Creation Clam.

YoungHegelian said...

I heard on NPR the other night that the WI Republican Party attacked Burke for being an "out of touch millionaire". If that's true it's disgraceful.

I thought the Republicans celebrated the financial success of all Americans, even Democrats.

If Burke has crazy policies or if her record as a public servant was lacking, then say so. But don't put out a statement that makes the WI Republican Party sound like the Occupy movement.

Ann Althouse said...

@betamax

LOL

Ann Althouse said...

@David

Yes, a half-truther may be worse than a complete liar.

Who's a complete liar? There's no point lying about everything.

A liar is seeking advantage and includes the true things that are advantageous. No credit is deserved for the true portions when they serve as lubricating for the false.

Ann Althouse said...

@YoungHegelian

NPR needs to elbow us with more adverbs.

It should have said: WI Republican Party said, sarcastically.

Sorry if I made you feel bad, Job-Creation Clam. I know you have no elbows.

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shirts were clean and mellow—
And this was odd, because, you know,
Not one had an elbow.

Anonymous said...

Re: "No credit is deserved for the true portions when they serve as lubricating for the false."

In Reference to an Earlier Post's Link: What if the Truth Was a Molded Replica of the Truth Worn Over the Real Truth?

Not Going to Speak to Lubrication.

Anonymous said...

Job-Creation Clam says:

It is the Nature of Job-Creation Clam: No Elbows, One Purpose. Job-Creation Clam Pursues This Purpose With Civility and Patience. Job-Creation Clam Has No Need For Sarcasm, Just Grit.

I'm Full of Soup said...

You were thinking of The Bunny Ranch in Nevada.

TosaGuy said...

I think Ms. Burke will prove to be a typical political newby who will be able to plod along with her set message, but will stumble when forced to think and respond outside of that message.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Joe's Clam Bar sold T-shirts that read:


"Shuck Me, Suck Me, Eat Me Alive"

It was a bit shocking [even in the 1980's] to see a good looking girl wear one of those shirts to work on casual Friday.

cubanbob said...

Ann has a checking account. Ann probably keeps a reasonable minimum balance. Bank lends Ann's money to businesses who use the money to create or retain jobs. Ann is a job creator and job retainer.

Rusty said...

After Trek, I spent a few years as Wisconsin’s Commerce secretary, focused every day on creating jobs,"

Actually Uline and other private companies created the jobs. Mary just gave away the farm to get them there.

Sam L. said...

A Democrat would use false logic and skewed numbers to lie/misinform us? I. Am. Shocked!

Issob Morocco said...

The truth, like pregnancy, is something that is either is or is not. You cannot be partially or half true or half wrong anymore than a woman can be half pregnant or half not pregnant.

And the truth, like pregnancy should not be aborted just for expediency.

Today's Democratic party seems fully welded to the concept of lying to acquire power. And anytime someone or some organization wants power that bad, we should all do what ever we can to deny that acquisition from occurring. You can disagree with Republican views, but at least those views are tied to ideas and concepts of limited and unobstrusive government. What do the Democrats stand for? Really, think about it, peel away the propaganda and see what they do at a shutdown. They exert their power to limit and choose winners and losers.

Fuck the bastards up bad in Nov. 2014.

MadisonMan said...

Has the Journal-Sentinel rated Scott Walker's job-creation claim?

Anonymous said...

Politicians always seek an advantage. The question is which party does it more? Politics isn't a squeaky clean field simply by the nature of it. Having said that, time will tell about Ms. Burke, how she handles herself as more specifics about her background come to light. We know about Walker and his issues already.

I think perhaps Walker and Burke may not be as different from each other than two candidates who could be far less moderate. I like that Walker was not in favor of a government shutdown and had the courage to speak out about it publicly..

David said...

Inga is back to her everybody does it defense. That generally shows that the arrow his hit its mark.

Belial said...

There's a reason Fred Flintstone was paid in clams.

Anonymous said...

David, are you saying that Republicans/ conservatives are pure as the driven snow? It would be quite irrational to think so.

heyboom said...

Inga,

Obviously we have bad seeds in our party. The difference is we don't tolerate them and will drum them out of office, while the left promotes theirs to higher callings.

kjbe said...

"Obviously we have bad seeds in our party. The difference is we don't tolerate them and will drum them out of office, while the left promotes theirs to higher callings."

Oh, please...

David said...

Inga said...
David, are you saying that Republicans/ conservatives are pure as the driven snow? It would be quite irrational to think so.


There you go again.