I work with statistics everyday in the financial field. I know how to recognize good statistics and I know recognize when statistics have been manipulated to get to a predetermined solution. Your faith that the government is reporting these things accurately, while sweet, is naive.

Since Obama became president the official US inflation rate is 12.2% (overall, not annually). Tell me, does $112 buy what $100 bought at the grocery store today as it did 7 years ago? I use grocery store prices because it is the one most people see easiest, but I could use utility bills, or some other measure. We ignore government statistics when doing our forecasts--I don't know any professional who does use them. They're bunk.

Whenever the government has a vested interest in making things look better than they really are, they do so with impunity and the sheeple fall for it.