COOPER: So, do you really believe that people in the Obama campaign, the Chicago guys that you tweeted about, that they cooked the numbers?
Welch: The plausibility just doesn't seem right. Now, maybe the numbers were wrong before. Maybe they're wrong now, I don't know. But I'm involved in this economy in a very deep way right now with lots of businesses, and this economy is not growing, I'll guarantee you, at five percent.
COOPER: But what evidence -- WELCH: I have no evidence.
COOPER: You don't have any evidence.
WELCH: No.
COOPER: It's one thing to doubt the numbers and say --
WELCH: I used question marks last night.
COOPER: Well, you said these Chicago guys will do anything.
WELCH: A question mark might have been better. Last night I had a question mark.
COOPER: But you are. You are saying these Chicago guys will do anything. WELCH: Well, you've seen they have been calling Romney a liar for the last two days. I mean --
COOPER: But how would they cook the books? How would they cook the numbers, given the process?
WELCH: Look, I have no idea whether these books are cooked. I'm very clear about that.
VELSHI: There are two great facts you make, Jack. You know, as the best CEO America has ever had, there are two very powerful things you can say here. One is let's take a look at how the BLS, bureau of labor statistics and department of labor measures unemployment, number one, and b, maybe you think Barack Obama's not doing a good job and Mitt Romney should be replacing him. But to honestly suggest that there's corruption that the Obama campaign may have had something to do with cooking these books, why do you need to do that at a time when U.S. trust for government and institutions is at an all-time low. That is not good for society. What does Jack Welch gain by introducing this? There are so many CEOs who talk nonsense. What do you gain from this, Jack? Why don't you take this opportunity to take it back?
WELCH: Ali, I love you. I'm not talking nonsense, OK?
VELSHI: OK. Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this, Jack.
I agree with you. This is a lousy economy. 1.3 percent GDP growth is lousy and yet on Wednesday night, Mitt Romney said again and by the way, Barack Obama backs up this claim that either one of them will create 12 million jobs in four years. That is three million jobs a year or 250,000 jobs a month. We got 114.
At 1.3 percent economic growth there's not an economist in this country who thinks it will be higher than three percent in 2013 and probably similar in 2014 and 2015. That's a lie, too, right? Why don't you call Mitt Romney out on that?
WELCH: Well, because Mitt Romney is thinking about a plan which would lower regulations, which would change the tax, which would drive an energy policy that's very aggressive. I don't know if he's going to get 12. I'm not a Romney surrogate. I'm not in the campaign. I have never talked to the campaign.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1210/05/acd.01.html
