Fact-checking Romney’s 59-point jobs plan

>>> mitt romney did something very rare today. something he doesn't appear to like doing. he talked policy with actual report es. take a listen.

>> i don't say much to critics. i put up 59 steps for how i'd get the economy going and i don't think i've seen any from the president. i've laid out my 59 steps and take a look at them. i think you'll find them very specific.

>> take a look at them. okay, we will. joining us now is "the washington post " ezra klein , a man who possesses one of the biggest brains in america. we've all seen the video of mitt talking about the economy, but rare is it that he also takes questions about his 59 points jobs plan. he says the president has released, i'm quoting him, no jobs plan of detailed as his own, but neither of that statement is true.

>> right. mitt romney does have a 59 point jobs plan ch i have read it.

>> so have i.

>> now, mitt, barack obama had the american jobs act, which in addition to having 41 points, 400 plus page piece of legislation.

>> 432 pages.

>> vastly more specific than anything romney had put forth. as far as mitt romney does not know that barack obama put forth a specific jobs plan, it's usually suggesting he's not been paying attention to presidential politics and if he's not been doing that, i kind of wonder what he's doing.

>> do any of the major portions of his plan help create jobs here and now in the immediate future? i'm talking about the 59 point mitt romney plan.

>> his plan is primarily focused on long-term questions and one way you saw that, the four he mentioned to reporters were he wanted to open up more trade with latin america . crack down on china. cut the corporate tax rate and he wanted to do is keystone xl pipeline and other assorted energy deals. you could argue whether or not they're good policy or not. they're not jobs here and now. the main part of the american jobs act are hiring people to do instruction work, hire back teachers, policeman, firefighters and possibly add to the role, doubling the payroll tax cut and also a large employer tax cut when you hire new work es. it is easier to see how these create new jobs. the interesting thing about these two plans, you could implement them both without any real fear of contradiction on either side. obama's is short-term, get jobs moving now. mitt romney is a long-term tax budgetary and regulatory environment in which jobs would be created in the future.

>> okay, there isn't a tax even at a cursory glance that romney doesn't want to eliminate, but i had a tough time trying to find out how he pays.

>> very briefly, he has told cnbc's -- he has not said at all you how pay for any of it and there's no way he'll be able to pay r for it and in order to make the numbers up, they will assume tons of growth creating magical new revenues.

>> thank you, sir, for joining