Clint Eastwood entertained but stretched the truth

There are 23 million unemployed Americans

What he said:

I haven't cried that hard since I found out that there is 23 million unemployed people in this country. Now that is something to cry for because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven't done enough, obviously -- this administration hasn't done enough to cure that.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 12.8 million unemployed Americans as of July.

However, if you add up the number of Americans looking for more work, one gets to Eastwood's figure. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were 8.2 million Americans in July who were working part-time "because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job."

Additionally, there were 2.5 million people who were "marginally attached to the labor force." The Bureau explains, "These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey."

This adds up to more than 23 million, a figure the Romney campaign has highlighted.

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[mitch2012]

Poor ole'Romney.He's doing alot more flopping around,but cannot keep the same plan to go forward.It's the same old mess he's been given, put me in and I'll tell you my ''plan '' later .Paul Ryan what a joke, or maybe I mean jerk.

[CarolusAvis]

I honestly do not see any inaccuracies by Clint reported in this story. And he said lots that is not even referenced in this story. So, four halos to Clint for honesty rarely seen in politics. Hopefully, Obama will resign in time for the Dems to find a better candidate.

[iamproteus]

"I honestly do not see any inaccuracies by Clint reported in this story."
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Perhaps if you actually read THIS story.......

[jflynn5110]

Narcissists don't resign. They are delusional.

[sjc_1]

I think Clint may have done this on purpose, for all the stink the GOP made about his Chrysler commercial during the Super Bowl. He told them, NO script. He would do 10 minutes off the cuff with nothing approved in writing first. They got taken by one of the best :)

[ForestWalk]

Thank you Clint. You helped point out one of the most glaring problems of Romney and his henchmen. Be sure that Romney's senior staff - who he will take into the Whitehouse (shudder) with him - were working the convention. And they lost control - they were surprised. They were not prepared. These are three things that we cannot have in the Whitehouse - people who don't plan for any eventuality - people who are surprised when someone does something unexpected. I don't want this crowd handling foreign policy. They will be surprised on a daily basis. If they can't plan for the small things how can the understand the big things.

[Tibigon]

Please talk about what Obama has done to get us jobs. I am sure Eastwood is laughing all the way to the bank at your negative comments. If Romney wins he will be rich and if Romney loses he will still be rich. Romney will surround himself with the best minds around to help him run the country.

[mjvwsr]

When was the last time cBS fact checked obozo?

[VeggieVal]

Mark Twain wrote about the folly of arguing with people who buy ink by the barrel, but there isn't enough ink in the world to fairly fact-check the Obama administration.

[infantryman1968]

(CBS News) As actor Clint Eastwood ad-libbed through his 10-minute speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, he -- intentionally or not -- took some liberties with the truth

LOL!

Only in Obama's America is telling the truth a liberty.

[nancy_naive]

Lying is becoming a copyrighted Republican trademark.

[lesstraveledroad]

Imagine if the Dems had allowed a black man, who was a know adulterer, who'd had 7 children by 5 different women and was only married to two of them, speak at their convention. What would the GOP say about that? Yet, except for the race, that's exactly who the 'family values' GOP cheered for on Thursday night.

[Xbeing]

Yeah guess he refused to back Obama a second time... more proof their are some people that are attentively paying attention.. now just to get the rest of the Demosheep to pay attention.

[VET03]

Does CBS vet the crap Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon say, with such vigor?

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

I hope so. Are you against vetting and fact-checking?

[Xbeing]

Not sure about Vet, but I am not, just against the partial spin. Real poor journalism if they lack impartiality and unfair assessment of facts they are reporting.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

by alanrobisch September 1, 2012 10:01 PM EDT
marcie I see you are liberal and do not care the fate of this country

by alanrobisch September 1, 2012 10:05 PM EDT
ben jordon you apparently able to see the mote in their eyes

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Oh, the irony! Nice job, alanhypocrite!

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

What's even funnier is that just earlier you were whining about my calling you a partisan drone, yet you have no problem says that others "do not care [about] the fate of this country".

Your double standards ARE amusing!