Lies, lies, lies, yeah! They're gonna get you!

I've grown more cynical to the reality that people just don't get economics or care to pay attention to the facts; they hear soundbites and read messages, and fit them into their preexisting bias -- both sides.

For instance, this latest one:  Citing this Bloomberg story, Mitt's campaign now says that Chrysler is sending jobs to China.  It's a major whopper of a lie.

The Bloomberg article specifically stated, "Chrysler currently builds all Jeep SUV models at plants in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. [Chief operating officer for Chrysler/Fiat in Asia] Manley referred to adding Jeep production sites rather than shifting output from North America to China."

So why would Mitt flat out lie?  It's not even a white lie.

After all, if he had done his homework, he would have known that Jeep had production agreements in China, prior to 2009 (when Chrysler had restructured), and he would have known that last year China added import tariffs to autos from the US, including 15% on Jeep Wranglers and Cherokees.

As the FAS wrote a few years ago:

"Even before publishing its auto industrial policy, the PRCG was (and still is) able to protect its domestic auto industry while still attracting foreign investment and technology.  This is accomplished mainly through foreign joint venture manufacturing facilities in China coupled with prohibitively high tariffs and non-tariff barriers on foreign autos and auto parts.  In addition to the 17 percent value-added tax (VAT) imposed on all imports, foreign autos are tagged with an excise or “consumption” tax as well as tariffs reaching up to or over 100 percent for passenger cars, 30-80 percent for commercial vehicles, and anywhere from nine to 100 percent on parts."

See?  China's set up incentives to build vehicles in China, that are meant to be sold in China, and Chrysler was responding to this.  But Mitt Romney didn't want you to understand this; probably because it might tend to highlight that President Obama filed a challenge to the tariffs four months ago, with the WTO.

Eventually those lies catch up, don't they?

Let's take a look at the last two months of the campaign season, where things have really heated up: there have been ten Pants on Fire claims, according to Politifact:

See that?

4 Pants on Fire for Mitt Romney;
5 Pants on Fire for conservative PACs / Republican group;
1 Pants on Fire for a pro-labor / liberal PAC.

Lies, lies, lies, yeah!