Obama: Stimulus Bill Wasn't Supposed to Stimulate

As HotAir explains, the new White House spin is that the $787 billion "stimulus" bill was never intended to stimulate the economy, but simply to prevent it from getting less worse. Of course, this is what Obama said as the bill was being considered:

It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth, but at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe.

I always assumed the term "boost" implied something positive. Of course, the Democratic apparatchik necessarily has to use data points that can't be measured (ie. "saved or created" jobs) if it wants any chance of persuading the American public that they're not a bunch of idiots who don't understand the economy.