Reading Between the Lines of Bush's Address 

Below are quotes from President Bush's State of the Union Address last week,followed by numbers that tell a different story:

"In the last two and a half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs, more than Japan and the European Union combined."

American manufacturing jobs in 2001:

17,101,000

American manufacturing jobs in 2005:

14,283,000

Nonmilitary-related, private-sector jobs created since 2001:

-1,160,000

"Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility."

Americans living without health insurance in 2000:

39.8 million

Americans living without health insurance in 2005:

46 million

Cuts to federal entitlement programs made one day after Bush's speech:

$40 billion

Percentage of those cuts borne by Medicaid and Medicare:

27

Percentage of companies that provided health insurance to employees in 2000:

69

Percentage of companies that provided health insurance to employees in 2005:

60

"The American people have turned in an economic performance that is the envy of the world."

Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2000:

$46,058

Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2004:

$44,389

Increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline since 2000:

51 percent

Increase in the price of home heating oil since 2000:

94 percent

"Our economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to spend, save and invest."

National savings rate in 1994:

5 percent

National savings rate in 2004:

1.8 percent

Percent of Americans in private sector who can rely on a defined pension as of 2004:

6

Percent of baby boomers who say they're prepared for retirement in 2005:

24

Number of times President Bush mentioned "Iraq" or "Iraqi":

24

Number of times he mentioned "Katrina," "New Orleans" or "rebuild":

0