The Obama Presser

“We are poised for a good year, if we make smart decisions.”

This is the stage Obama needs to set: That the economy is doing well, but it will tank if the GOP won’t do as I say. Actually, the economy is set to be meh in 2013. Just like it was in 2012. And in 2011. And in 2010. And in the second half of 2009, when the Great Recession officially ended.

The next part of his intro was dedicated to the $2.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next ten years he’s already made.

Excuse me while I laugh until I cry and then back again.

Those “cuts” included just kind of assuming the Iraq and Afghanistan wars would go on forever, and then counting the “savings” as “spending cuts” when they didn’t. Obama is still also counting more than $700,000,000,000 in cuts to Medicare — which will be spent on ObamaCare. That’s not a cut; that’s moving IOUs from one pocket to the other while telling everyone about all the new money you found.

Fact is, Federal spending is up about 25% on Obama’s watch, to more than 24% of the economy. And he has no intention — none — of bringing it down. The real fight is over how to pay for it, and that means the middle class (or what’s left of it) is next on the chopping block.

I’ll check back in later if we get any good questions from the White House Press Corps.