Hi, I'm Barack Obama, and I Just Make Stats Up Out of Nothing

This morning, among the many debatable things said by all in DC, this bit from the president is probably the least debatable.

President Obama on Friday kept up the pressure on Republicans to agree to revenue increases in a deal to raise the debt ceiling, claiming 80 percent of the public supports Democrats’ demand for tax increases.

“The American people are sold,” Obama said. “The problem is members of Congress are dug in ideologically.”

Throughout the press conference, Obama blasted Republicans for ignoring what he said is the will of the American people by rejecting tax increases that would balance out spending cuts in a debt package.

But hey, let’s leave our politics at the door! How sold does he think the American people are? Well, he specifically said that 80% of us support “a balanced approach” that includes tax hikes in the debt deal. Via RCP by way of Hot Air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GWdFz-iaNI

“You have 80% of the American people who support a balanced approach. 80% of the American people support an approach that includes revenues and includes cuts. So the notion that somehow the American people aren’t sold is not the problem. The problem is members of Congress are dug in ideologically.”

“Revenues” is the key word there — that’s the newspeak for tax increases of one form or another.

Where is he getting this 80% figure? How about “out of his hind end.” Gallup doesn’t back him up. Neither does Rasmussen. Gallup gets you closest, but you have do get a little creative with the numbers and even it shows that 50% would prefer a deal with no “revenues” at all (Ras shows 55% on that side).

Obama’s just scattin’ and be-boppin’ and makin’ stuff up.

Update: In comments, Jay Caruso says Obama is citing this poll. Heh, he may well be. It’s a PPP (they’re the people who polled Rick Perry behind Obama — in Texas) and this particular poll is up to their usual standards. It was commissioned by MoveOn and other leftists, and cherry picks four states. If that’s the poll he’s citing, he may be outsourcing the making up of the stuff.