Jon Stewart blasts conservatives for skepticism over jobs report

By Meredith Blake

Oct. 9, 2012 12 AM PT

Fresh off a busy weekend of sparring with Bill O’Reilly, Jon Stewart returned to “The Daily Show” Monday night with a harsh critique of so-called jobs “truthers” – conservatives who believe, against all credible evidence, that President Obama and his allies manipulated the positive jobs report issued late last week.

“What else would explain why, after unemployment has been steadily declining for the last year, that now suddenly, right before the election, it suddenly declines a little more?” Stewart asked facetiously.

As for the allegations, spouted repeatedly on Fox News and its sister network, Fox Business, that the Bureau of Labor Statistics was “cooking the books” in Obama’s favor, Stewart was dubious. After all, 7.8% unemployment is hardly a glowing statistic. “You need a new recipe,” he suggested.

Not surprisingly, Donald Trump is one of the most vocal proponents of the conspiracy theory. “Call me when the allegation comes from someone with financial credibility,” Stewart said.

Cue former General Electric chief executive (and Jack Donaghy role model) Jack Welch, who voiced his skepticism over the report via Twitter on Friday morning. “Unbelievable jobs numbers..these Chicago guys will do anything..can’t debate so change numbers,” he claimed.

Given the enormity of Welch’s allegations, Stewart figured Welch must have had some “hard-core evidence” to support them, but nope: “I have no evidence to prove that,” Welch admitted on “Hardball.”

Stewart then shifted focus to Fox Business Network personality Eric Bolling, who, during a conversation with Welch about the timing of the jobs report, said, “I’m not a believer in coincidences. I don’t believe there are any in life.”

Bolling’s seemingly baseless skepticism prompted Stewart to ask, “If these good numbers from the BLS are clearly a conspiracy, what were the earlier, less positive numbers from the BLS?”

From there, he cut to footage of Bolling back in January citing bad job statistics as evidence of Obama’s failures. “Those are the numbers. Read them and weep,” said Bolling, who apparently hasn’t been heeding his own advice.

Incidentally, Bolling wasn’t the only Fox Business personality skewered on “The Daily Show” last night. In a segment about conservative attacks on PBS, Stewart also took aim at Lou Dobbs, who is irate over $450 million in government subsidies to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and yet is unfazed by the $4 billion that goes to oil companies.

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