Was the purpose of the stimulus to save government?

According to President Obama's Saturday radio address, that would seem to be the purpose. Since it isn't creating any jobs, he may be searching for a new justification for spending over three quarters of a trillion in our tax dollars.

From Wizbang:

During his Saturday radio address to the nation President Obama let slip his administration's real purpose for the stimulus legislation... which is to save government.

"It has already extended unemployment insurance and health insurance to those who have lost their jobs in this recession," Obama, who is traveling today in Ghana, said in his weekly Saturday radio and Web address. "It has delivered $43 billion in tax relief to American working families and business."

Were it not for the stimulus program, the president said, "state deficits would be nearly twice as large as they are now, resulting in tens of thousands of additional layoffs -- layoffs that would affect police officers, teachers, and firefighters."

Obama said the measure "was not designed to work in four months -- it was designed to work over two years."