programs as well. combined that will be, produce a considerable dent to consumer demand. and as we get into a couple months down the road, new jobs reports, another budget fight coming, it's not going to be possible for president obama to ignore the topic. jon: well, he's trying, i guess. jay carney at the white house yesterday told the press that really the reason for the problems in the economy are because republicans control the house of representatives. >> that's what the president was telling everybody at christmas time when he was threatening to, you know, we're all going to go over the cliff, and the republicans are going to raise everybody's taxes, and that's going to decimate the economy. what we saw was a deal, as i said, that restored tax cuts to 99% of american taxpayers, and we put off the question with of these very serious, draconian, across-the-board, blunt cuts to nestic and defense -- domestic and defense programs and as president obama said in his debate in the fall with mitt romney simply were not going to