Obie does want to cut spending--"on the tax code" and on defense

You're going to be hearing a new term between now and the election: Obama used it in his July 9th weekly address, like this:

I believe we need a balanced approach [to deficits]. That means taking on spending in our domestic programs and our defense programs.... And it means taking on spending in the tax code — spending on tax breaks and deductions for the wealthiest Americans.

Did you catch it? Republicans want to reduce government spending. Obie goes through the motions of agreeing, and then adds that he wants to "take on spending in the tax code."

I'll bet you had no idea government spending on "the tax code" was high enough to be a matter of concern. Neither did I. A google search for "spending on the tax code" turned up a grand total of 5 hits (before I posted this). So what's up?

I know you'll be shocked to hear this, but it turns out that "taking on spending in the tax code" doesn't mean "cutting spending." Instead it's Dem-speak for raising taxes, by eliminating tax breaks (also called "loopholes") for favored groups.

Now, I have no problem with eliminating tax breaks for politically connected groups. But the phrasing "taking on spending in the tax code" is deliberately laying the groundwork for a semantic inversion worthy of Orwell: I predict you'll hear Obama and the Dems repeating endlessly that the preznit is working hard to "cut spending...on the tax code," but that those nasty Republican extreeeemists in congress are preventing him from...cutting spending.

Isn't that too cute? The spendthrift preznit--who's thrown away more of your tax dollars on either worthless projects or outright bribes to his supporters--is now trying to posture as a champion of cutting spending??

And of course no one in the Lying Media will call him or them on it. In fact you can almost see the headlines in the WaPo and NYT: "GOP blocking Obama on spending cuts."

And the sad but true fact is that less than half the electorate is savvy enough to figure it out unassisted.

"Cut spending...on the tax code." Truly Orwellian stuff.