Robert J. Samuelson: When the Very Serious People Propagandize

Okay, maybe economics columnist Robert J. Samuelson -- and I use the term economics loosely, since he does -- knows what he's doing and saying, but you wouldn't know by reading him. I read him to stay abreast of what the Washington Post holds to be relevant these days.

When Samuelson writes, there's always a tell, a line that when read, one goes "Ah ha, that's his core message." In his latest opus, a bare-naked screed against Barack Obama about, well, it's hard to say, but Samuelson says jobs or something. But here's the line that tells you what he really thinks:

An administration serious about job creation has to sacrifice other priorities to achieve it. This, President Obama hasn’t done.

There it is. Like the WaPo editorial board that recently attacked Obama for deciding not to offer cuts to Social Security in his 2015 budget proposal, Samuelson is pissed because the only way Obama can prove he's Serious about jobs is by cutting something somewhere. Where, Samuelson doesn't say. But you can bet he means entitlements.

So, if Barack Obama is Serious about job creation, he has to prove his bonafides by making cuts to social programs somewhere, anywhere. Where? Who cares? As long as it hurts the peons.

One thing that is obvious about this column: Samuelson cherry-picks his data to accuse the president of cherry-picking his data. C'mon, Bob, if you want to be taken Seriously, don't be so obvious.

Also, Samuelson doesn't want to raise the minimum wage. He doesn't say that, but, well read the piece for yourselves. I end up with one clear message from him: I'm a Serious Person, so there's got to be pain somewhere! You can't be Serious, Obama. Where's your pain?!?