The most disturbing moment of Jon Stewart’s interview with President Obama was when Obama claimed the soon-to-exit director of the National Economic Council, Larry Summers, had done a “Heckuva Job.” It was a statement both profoundly wrong and politically stupid. On so many levels, it was an awful thing to say just days before the election. It is a moment that has honestly made me question Obama’s judgment and basic intelligence.

Level One – Simply Wrong

At face value, the statement is simply wrong. Larry Summers has, in fact, not done a heck of a job. And not only has Summers done a terrible job during the last two years, he was an integral part of the group of “experts” that got us into this mess to begin with. Among Summers’ many recent failures, the biggest is probably how completely he underestimated the scale of the economic downturn, which is best expressed by Summers’ refusal to even present to Obama suggestions by Christine Romer that the stimulus might need to be as large as $1.2 trillion. Following Summers’ bad assumptions was the original sin of the Obama administration and predicted the months of insufficient and weak-willed actions that followed. If Obama thinks Summers is doing a good job with the economy, then the country really is in for a lot of economic misery.

Level Two – Politically Tone Deaf

Even if Summers had done a great job (which, just to reiterate, he hasn’t), a president should never claim his economics team is doing a great job when the country is stuck in two years of persistently high unemployment. It is politically tone deaf. Regular Americans are suffering right now and they sure don’t think Obama’s economic team is doing a good job. Obama’s claim makes him seem completely disconnected from reality. It makes it seem like the president doesn’t even know there is a problem.

Level Three – Worst. Phrasing. Ever.

Really, Obama, you chose to use the infamous and loaded “Heckuva job” phrase? The phrase George Bush used to praise his FEMA director, Michael Brown, after Katrina? You don’t have the political sense to say Summers is going a “fine job” or a “good job?”

Using that phrase makes the comparison inevitable. This economic crisis is playing out as Obama’s Katrina. Just like with Bush, Obama’s point man on the issue, Larry Summers, is completely incompetent. Yet the rest of the country is left scratching their head wondering why Obama has an endless fountain of trust in his judgment.

This raises the specter that Obama suffers from one of Bush’s greatest failings, the inability to admit he’s made a mistake, and then change course. The willingness to put loyalty above accountability or competence.

I can already see the 30-second 2012 campaign ad in my head.

Obama: Larry Summers did a heck of a job.

Screen shot: “9.6% unemployment”