What does it mean to create or save 2.5 million new jobs?

P-E Barack Obama has promised an "Economic Recovery Plan that will create or save 2.5 million new jobs." I am still baffled by the inclusion of "or save" in that phrase. Sure, economic stimulus can "save" jobs, but why would you lump job creation and job "saving" in the same number? It renders the number meaningless. As it stands, if Obama were to claim that he had "saved" 2.5 million jobs over the next two years without creating even a single new job, he could still claim that he has fulfilled his promise. Most people, myself included, would like to presume that an Economic Recovery Plan will create a net of 2.5 million new jobs, even as it "saves" countless millions of existing jobs.

It is annoying that the media has not called him out and demanded clarification on what is being promised.

It is actually rather surprising that the media has not discussed this lack of distinction between creating and saving jobs.

I am all for saving jobs, but we need to put more energy into creating new jobs for the 2 million people who lost jobs over the past year.

-- Jack Krupansky