They're playing with numbers and lying to us once again. The goal is to bring the unemployment numbers down while pumping the stock market, in order to get the socialist-in-chief reelected.
Additionally, Obama will take credit for the payroll tax cut and remind voters he's putting more money in their wallets every week. If the tax cut extension fails, he will go full bore on the attack and blame the GOP for “ruining” the economic “recovery”. The sheeple will lap it up and run to their savior Barack.
I wonder how Obama is going to manage delay of the release of the SSA Trustee's report (it was in August this year), which will undoubtedly show that the reduced revenues from the payroll tax have significantly moved up the date by which the SSA "Trust Fund" runs out of money.
Of course, the fix is in - of the 6 member board, 3 are from Obama's cabinet (Geithner, Solis and Sebelius). Since the Commissioner is Astrue (who Obama reportedly asked to resign, but refused), the President has apparently not appointed anyone for the 2 "Public Trustees" positions, so he can control the board with only his private lapdogs. I guess the risk that 2 public trustees might join with Astrue to tell the public the truth is too great to chance.