Nov.6 - o'Abbott & Costello Revisited

From: jr Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 Subject: Abbott and Costello Revisited

For those of you who remember Bud Abbott & Lou Costello and their comedy routines such as "Who's on first" baseball routine!   This would be a great routine to have a couple of good actors, that could imitate Abbott and Costello, put it on one of Romney's TV campaign messages!!!   Most of us older Americans remember Abbott and Costello, many of you younger will enjoy anyway.

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COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America. 
ABBOTT:      Good Subject.  Terrible Times.  It's 9%.
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work? 
ABBOTT:      No, that's 16%. 
COSTELLO: You just said 9%. 
ABBOTT:      9% Unemployed. 
COSTELLO: Right 9% out of work. 
ABBOTT:      No, that's 16%. 
COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 16% unemployed. 
ABBOTT:      No, that's 9%. 
COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE.  Is it 9% or 16%? 
ABBOTT:      9% are unemployed.  16% are out of work.
COSTELLO: IF you are out of work you are unemployed. 
ABBOTT:      No, Obama said you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed.  You have to look for work to be unemployed. 
COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!! 
ABBOTT:      No, you miss his point. 
COSTELLO: What point? 
ABBOTT:      Someone who doesn't look for work, can't be counted with those who look for work.  It wouldn't be fair.
COSTELLO: To whom? 
ABBOTT:      The unemployed. 
COSTELLO: But they are ALL out of work. 
ABBOTT:      No, the unemployed are actively looking for work.  Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.
COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment roles, that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT:      Unemployment would go down.  Absolutely!
COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?
ABBOTT:      Absolutely it goes down.  That's how Obama gets it to 9%.  Otherwise it would be 16%.  He doesn't want you to read about 16% unemployment.
COSTELLO: That would be tough on his reelection.. 
ABBOTT:      Absolutely. 
COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you.  That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
ABBOTT:      Two ways is correct. 
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT:      Correct. 
COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job? 
ABBOTT:      Bingo. 
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have Obama's supporters stop looking for work.
ABBOTT:      Now you're thinking like the Obama Economy Czar. 
COSTELLO: I don't even know what the hell I just said! 
ABBOTT:      Now you're thinking like Obama.

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(U6) Underemployed=14.7%-22.5% (U3) Unemployed=7.8%-16.3% (29.9% ELC,CA 21Sep12) (WND & BLS/U.S. Gov & Gallup & Ca.gov EDD)
Unemployment: U1-4.3% - U2-4.2% - U3-7.8% - U4-8.3% - U5-9.3% - U6-14.7% (5Oct, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm)
"The fate of the country does not depend on how you vote at the polls -- the worst man is as strong as the best at that game; it does not depend on what kind of paper you drop into the ballot-box once a year, but on what kind of man you drop from your chamber into the street every morning." -- Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

source: Harrold's Quotes Page

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