Jobs Saved, Created, and Magically Materialized

Jim Geraghty has some thoughts on Obama's promise today to "create or save 600,000 jobs" by ramping up the stimulus payments:

Why Not Promise a Hillion Jillion Kabillion New Jobs?

National unemployment rate the month that the stimulus was signed into law: 8.1 percent.

National unemployment rate today: 9.4 percent.

Obama, today: "President Barack Obama promised Monday to deliver more than 600,000 jobs through his $787 billion stimulus plan this summer, with federal agencies pumping billions into public works projects, schools and summer youth programs."

Obama's staff, today: "Obama is ramping up his stimulus program this week even as his advisers are ramping down expectations about when the spending plan will affect a continuing rise in the nation's unemployment."

It's troubling when the left hand doesn't know what the further left hand is doing.

Of course, there is no way to measure jobs "saved". The administration can claim anything and the press will dutifully report it. They don't fact-check the stuff that's possible, you certainly can't expect them to fact-check the impossible.