I love Obama and I’m glad he’s president. He’s not only pretty in line with my way of thinking about the world, he’s also a relentlessly practical politician who knows how to read the general sentiment, talk to people where they are, and generally get his way. I mean, there he was on social media years ago- before Twitter was even cool. And he has shown amazing prowess as the unrivaled leader for the Democratic Party, a group that just a few years ago was looking hopelessly fractured and whiney.

And, he’s just flat out good at politics. He knows that the last thing anybody needs to hear right now is that the budget deficit for this year, already projected to be almost 4x last year’s record high (don’t think about that too hard), is going to be even bigger. So what does he do? Well, his administration is quietly delaying its mid-year budget review until August. Can you do that? In a 12 month year, does month 8 still count as  “mid-year?” Ummm. What if they had done the “mid-year” review in April- that’s month 4, which is basically the same number of months off just in the other direction.

Regardless, according to a recent report, it’s happening.

"Let's be honest about what this is: an attempt to hide a record-breaking deficit as Democratic leaders break arms to rush through a government takeover of healthcare. By burying this budget update until after Congress leaves town next month, the administration is not willing to own up to the consequences of this dangerous fiscal agenda," said John Boehner (R-Ohio).

Unemployment rates are going up and nobody sees the economy getting any better, so it’s probably not the best time for the report to come out- to be fair, the Bush Administration did the same thing in 2001: apparently the first year a president is in office things tend to get pushed back a little. 

"I don't think the delay is because this year's fiscal deficit is going to be so much worse than they said it was going to be. I think it's going to be smaller." said Chief U.S. Economist at IHS Global Insight Nigel Gault.

With Obama pushing hard on the healthcare bill that is making its molasses way through Congressional committees right now, delaying a report that will underscore how much money the country doesn’t have is something of a genius move, I must say. Acceptably shady in the world of politics, I think.

It does make the political situation look less toxic when you take into account that part of the projected huge budget deficit for this year is to cover an anticipated shortfall in funds to pay for emergencies… so basically, Obama is spending a lot of money to take care of everybody. Bailouts, healthcare, and whatever else.

I can’t say I have a better idea, but this doesn’t seem like it has a much better chance of success than the wars Bush was starting.

Maybe that’s just the way. You take care of the biggest crisis that happens when you are in office and do what you think is best. Everyone with a computer or a pen complains about it on the Internet and then you just see what happens. Politics.