Economic Sleight of Hand

Economy grows 2.2 percent in third quarter (Reuters) 12/22/09

Yeah, Like Duh - and the money supply only grew by 68%. This means that the economy did not grow in real terms and instead that it declined.

Fingerpainting

Consumers spent more on costly "durable" manufactured goods — such as cars and appliances. Such spending rose 2.1 percent. [Emphasis added] They also boosted spending last month on "nondurables," including food and clothes, and on services...
~ Reuters

It  is specious to talk about how much more $ people are spending and using that as reason to try and say  that people are actually purchasing more actual goods.

Do you not know that there has been a decline in the amount of goods that a dollar will purchase, i.e., inflation. For example, take a look at the price of that candy bar that you are eating right now. If you paid 80 cents a year ago, but you paid 82 cents today, based on the above kind of pseudo-analysis by this newspaper writer who is toeing the company line, they would say that YOUR consumer spending has risen 2.1% and use that to support the Obama bandwagon fantasy that you have bought 2.1% more candy bars than you did last year.

What falsehood and finger-painting there is going on nowadays. And they want us all to celebrate???