WH Spox: When Obama Said He Changed Immigration Law, He Didn't Really Mean That He'd Changed Immigration Law

National Journal’s Major Garrett asked White House spokesman Josh Earnest a simple question during today’s press conference: Just what did President Obama mean last week when he told some hecklers that he had just changed immigration law?

“Did the president misspeak in a moment of a sort of a passion to try to calm the crowd,” Garrett asked regarding last week’s admission,”or does he fundamentally and do you fundamentally believe that he has taken action to change the law?”

The trap in that question: Obama has previously admitted, many times, that presidents cannot unilaterally change laws.

Earnest responded: “I think he was speaking colloquially…”

Garrett reminded Earnest that Obama told the hecklers “I just took action to change the law.”

And Earnest danced: “I think that he was speaking…colloquially there.”

The word Earnest is looking for is “confessionally.” Obama had publicly confessed to breaking the law.