AP On Obama: You’ve Been Punked

Change is in the air. Not just that the inside the Beltway pundits are noticing that He is not all that He is cracked up to be. Not just that people are taking to the streets in protest. Not just that our European allies no longer are amused. Not just that the Chinese and Russians are worried that His economic policies may be too socialist.

No, you know that things are changing when the normally compliant cheerleaders at AP take to mocking Him:

The economy is fundamentally sound despite the temporary “mess” it’s in, the White House said Sunday in the kind of upbeat assessment that Barack Obama had mocked as a presidential candidate.

Obama’s Democratic allies pleaded for patience with an administration hitting the two-month mark this week, while Republicans said the White House’s plans ignore small business and the immediate need to fix what ails the economy. After weeks projecting a dismal outlook on the economy, administration officials — led by the president himself in recent days — swung their rhetoric toward optimism in what became Wall Street’s best stretch since November.

During the fall campaign, Obama relentlessly criticized his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, for declaring, “The fundamentals of our economy are strong.” Obama’s team painted the veteran senator as out of touch and failing to grasp the challenges facing the country.

But on Sunday, that optimistic message came from economic adviser Christina Romer. When asked during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if the fundamentals of the economy were sound, she replied: “Of course they are sound.”

Hey America. Remember that election? You’ve been punked. Remember all the “sky is falling” rhetoric to get the stimulus package passed? You’ve been punked. Remember “imagine hope”? You’ve been punked.

Pretty funny. The One who shows the fierce urgency to mock others is being mocked.