Walker Job Creation Claim "Mostly False," Says PolitiFact

PolitiFact finds Scott Walker muddied the facts when he released and spun his self-serving job numbers.

Surprised? Hardly. Walker has but six PolitiFact statements given an unqualified "true"rating out of 50 examined.

The jobs' manipulation fits his pattern - - a tactical smoke screen to mislead the voting public from seeing his failed performance with only days to go before the recall election.

Here is the "Mostly False" ruling:

Gov. Walker says Wisconsin has added 33,200 jobs since he became governor

Our rating

Walker’s ad says there are 33,200 more jobs in Wisconsin since he took office.

To reach the number, he combined two data sets -- one that involves unofficial (but generally more accurate) numbers that could change in the weeks after the election; the other is volatile, but still official monthly numbers. From an accounting standpoint this would be flagged as a mistake. From a political standpoint, he is mixing and matching to present the best possible view.

Walker presents it all as final and official, offering no cautionary notes or caveats -- even though there are many.

And Walker credits his policies for the improvement, which overstates the impact a governor can make on broad economic trends in a short period of time.

There is clearly some truth to the numbers. But in mixing everything together and not making it clear these numbers are preliminary, Walker ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.

That is our definition for Mostly False. 

His complete PolitiFact for 50 statements vetted: 17 on the "true" side, 33 on the "false."scorecard: 

Walker's statements by ruling

Click on the ruling to see all of Walker's statements for that ruling.

• True6(6)
• Mostly True4(4)
• Half True7(7)
• Mostly False10(10)
• False19(19)
• Pants on Fire4(4)