Originally published at: BLS Commissioner Nominee’s Suggestion to Suspend Monthly Jobs Report Is ‘Like Gouging Our Eyes Out’ - TPM – Talking Points Memo
President Donald Trump on Monday evening nominated a Heritage Foundation economist who has publicly criticized federal data collection at the Bureau of Labor Statistics to lead the agency. On Tuesday, Fox Business published an interview with the nominee, E.J. Antoni, during which Antoni suggested halting the release of the monthly jobs report and echoed Trump’s…
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“All eyes will now be on senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who each expressed concern after the president dismissed McEntarfer. Antoni can only lose support from three Republican senators to be successfully confirmed.”
The only unknown: When will the four senators meet to decide which three will cast their meaningless votes against this dickhead?
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One man’s narcissism and a cadre of extremely online, thin-skinned billionaires are destroying the foundations necessary to maintain capitalism as well as democracy. And when things fall apart they’ll all act surprised, blame Democrats for not cleaning up the mess fast enough, and squawk about the national deficit/debt.
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“If someone were to come in with a political agenda,” said Horrigan, “they should have a different job.”
LOLOL Like Trump would appoint anyone that DID NOT come in with a political agenda aligned with his.
Besides which, what is this clown going to do? Come in and build a whole new “spreadsheet” and plug in numbers until it looks “better”? If he can do that, why do they need any employees at BLS?!? It’s all so laughable and also enough to make you cry.
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Michael Horrigan, president of the Upjohn Institute, said in a separate interview that the Trump administration’s general “lack of faith” in federal statistics is concerning, but hopes the next BLS commissioner would understand the gravity of the agency’s nonpartisan reputation.
“If someone were to come in with a political agenda,” said Horrigan, “they should have a different job.”
Oh Jesus, Allah and Zoroaster. What in the exact fuck is it that these think tank geniuses, law professors and assorted Very Serious People think is going on right now? “Oh, golly. It is entirely a hypothetical possibility that he might have a political agenda of some kind, but oh how terrible it would be if he did! Oh, I am confident the gravity of job will surely lead to an abrupt pivot away from the anti-expertise Dunning-Kreuger sack-o’-rocks stupid batshittery he’s spewed his whole public life and compel him to align himself with the staff he thinks are Deeep State Inteelectshul Eeleet conshpirators. I am a very serious thinker of serious thoughts.”
I mean, seriously, what is even wrong with these people?
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Oh my! Some Senators have “expressed concerns”! That’ll make a difference.
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Looks like a Dick Tracy villain.
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The new guy is going to work more closely with the staff to ensure that the employment numbers reflect the First Felon’s fondest wish, regardless of reality.
The numbers will not be trusted but there will be no way to statistically prove otherwise as that evidence will be suppressed and destroyed,
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It’s embarrassing that even one Senator would vote for this clown, but the GQP puts party over country every time.
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Is he any worse of a clown than any of the other clowns the GQP has lock-step confirmed?
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I’ll take “low bars” for $200, please.
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“It hurts our ability to see what’s happening around us; it forces us into making worse decisions.”
I think we can all agree that if there is anything an unimpeachable expert (on everything) like Putin’s Cock-holster needs help with it’s “making worse decisions.”
So little time; so many bad decisions to be made.
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“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown the Heritage Foundation.”
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This guy looks like a cross between Stephen Miller and either:
A. Maynard G. Krebs
or
B: Ron “The Ghoul” Sweed
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I would quibble about them “acting” surprised. They are all people who have lost the capability of understanding the word “no” (if they ever possessed that capacity) and they have convinced themselves they are the smartest man in the room, so they have to know what’s best. If someone says the data don’t agree, they are convinced that the data must be wrong, not them. So when the shit hits the fan, they will be caught completely flatfooted, at which point they will blame the Democrats, as you suggested.
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Figures Antoni would have a connection to the TPPF, which has claimed to be “America’s largest free market state think tank” but is more like St. Theocracy’s Home for Wayward Billionaires. Tim Dunn, one of Greg Abbott’s and Ken Paxton’s major owners, has been on the board for a couple decades.
According to Google Scholar, Antoni’s paper has earned one citation, by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in 2021, while he worked there. Publications by Erika McEntarfer—the BLS commissioner who was ousted by Trump on Aug. 1, midway through her term, after a weak jobs report—have been cited 1,327 times.
Gift link: Who Is E.J. Antoni? Trump’s Nominee to Lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics - WSJ
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