Sometimes, [Concord Coalition National Field Director Harry] Zeeve said, politicians inaccurately describe the effect of their actions – by saying that they’re reducing the debt when they’re just reducing the deficit, or by misrepresenting how much they’re cutting.

“The cynic in me says that at times it’s deliberate, to avoid making hard choices or to keep folks kind of confused,” he said. “The optimist in me … says it can be a slip of the tongue.”