So what? Smart people always are willing to change their minds to match new circumstances. The worst politician is the one who refuses to budge even when the sea is lapping at his feet.

I'd also suggest that you need to review motives for people changing their mind. What is the benefit for Obama in changing his mind? It's a minefield, obvious ammunition for his opponents. What about his opponents themselves who suddenly advocate parsimony after their years of spending up large? Their personal benefit is obvious- it allows them to shroud their malice in noble cloth. As long as listeners are prepared to suspend disbelief, of course.

Seems to me that some people are really only interested in "bumper sticker" politics, reducing events to simplistic slogans that may be easy to digest but have nothing to do with the real-world problems and need for change. If you review the consequences of inaction (which would be personally easiest for Obama, fwiw, allowing his opponents to delay everything while he assembles evidence of blame to be heaped on them in due course) then there have to be bigger things to worry about.