Three and a half percent equals green shoots, right? So what about two point two percent?

The Commerce Department said the economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.2 percent from July through September, down from the original forecast of 3.5 percent. The downward revision was well above average, but analysts still foresee stronger growth in the fourth quarter as exports rise and an improved jobs market encourages consumer spending.

And this comment bodes ill:

A separate report showed that the economic recovery was weaker than expected in the third quarter, held back by slow business construction and dwindling inventories.

I remember a certain commenter talking up the fact that the inventory cycle had turned. Guess not.

Meanwhile, Obama thinks he's done a lot in reforming the banking sector. No, really:

"Overall, if you had a checklist of promises made, a lot of those promises have been kept," Obama said. "When those things are complete, and I think they will be, we will have achieved a fundamental shift in health care, energy, education and our financial regulatory system that will put this economy on a firmer footing to grow over the long term."

However, the banks aren't lending, so what does Obama do? Urges the little guy to fill the gap that the big guys aren't:

U.S. President Barack Obama urged the country's smaller community banks on Tuesday to lift lending to small businesses and vowed to help the process by doing what he can to cut regulatory red tape.

"The pendulum might have swung too far in the direction of not lending," Obama told reporters after meeting with a group of small bankers chosen from communities across the country.

"If we can get that balance right, there are businesses and communities out there that are ready to grow," he said.

Quite the metaphor: browbeat the little guy into saving the big guys ass.