THE GOVERNMENT STANDS – AT 10:10 A.M. ET:  The government was not shut down last night thanks to a last- minute deal made by congressional Dems and Republicans, with the White House involved.  Thus, we will continue to enjoy the same efficiency, quality and dynamic leadership that we're used to.  The sound you hear is me choking. 

Now, who get the credit for the last-minute deal and the spending cuts it contains?   Well, if you ask President Obama, he gets the credit.  He spoke last night as if he'd wanted spending cuts all along.  This is pretty unbelievable:

"Like any worthwhile compromise, both sides had to make tough decisions and give ground on issues that were important to them," Obama said before cameras in the White House Blue Room as he acknowledged some of the cuts agreed to would be painful, with certain programs cut back and other projects encountering delays. "But beginning to live within our means is the only way to protect those investments that will help America compete for new jobs," he said.

COMMENT:  Huh?  The only way?  Did he really say that, or is this a bad dream?  When has this president ever emphasized living within our means?   The government's deficit this year is $1.5-trillion, and I haven't seen one member of the Obama White House faint at the number. 

But this is a president who claimed that his election meant that the oceans would recede, so his sudden conversion to fiscal discipline, which might last as long as a day, should come as no surprise.

April 9, 2011