https://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/19/is-california-scheming-to-make-the-obama-economy-look-better/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 10:45:08 -0400<![CDATA[Back on October 11, President Obama got a major lift for his campaign when the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment had dropped dramatically. Mitt Romney had thoroughly schooled Obama in the first presidential debate, changing the trajectory of the campaign. The president needed a lifeline and on October 5 the BLS had reported a big drop in unemployment, saying the rate had dropped below 8% for the first time in years, to match the rate when Obama took office. The Oct 5 numbers seemed fuzzy, and widespread skepticism greeted them. So when the next set of numbers came out on Oct 11 and they looked good too, hardly anyone believed them. The BLS accompanied those numbers with a note that one large state had not reported its unemployment numbers at all.]]>Fri, 19 Oct 2012 06:46:34 -0400<![CDATA[Bryan Preston]]>https://pjmedia.com/bryan-preston-1/2012/10/19/is-california-scheming-to-make-the-obama-economy-look-better-n174020