That’s what The San Diego Union Tribune editorial board said yesterday, blasting the White House’s attempt to “make up claims” about the stimulus’ “glorious results”:

This is a scandal and should be treated as such. It’s not government as usual. Instead, it appears to reflect a decision to distort government data collection to support explicitly political agendas … When it comes to the economic stimulus package, it sure looks like the Obama White House doesn’t want an honest debate. Instead, it is going to relentlessly push the very dubious claim that the stimulus was a huge success – no matter what. 

Yesterday, The Boston Globe’s Jenn Abelson and Todd Wallack pointed out some of the latest distortions from state stimulus job reports, this time from Massachuestts:

• Bridgewater State College reported stimulus funds created 160 full-time work study jobs, though the real number is “almost nothing.”
• Stimulus funds went to individuals in the form of subsidies for affordable housing, which reportedly saved 26 jobs.  However, “There were no jobs created. It was just shuffling around of the funds,’’ said Susan Kelly, director of property management for Boston Land Co, the company that reported the 26 saved jobs.

Based on that story, The Boston Globe’s editorial board sent a message to the Obama Administration today, saying that “fibbing” on job numbers “won’t actually put people back to work”:

Congress and the Obama administration have a lot to answer for in the stimulus bill, and their efforts to make a strict accounting of its benefits are admirable in theory. But the reports provided by Massachusetts recipients did nothing to advance the cause of federal stimulus legislation. Instead, they raised fresh doubts.

From coast to coast, the American people have more reasons not to believe anything this White House says. And The Boston Globe said it best today: “You can’t lie your way out of a recession.”