President Obama promised—again—to get serious about the deficit in last week's State of the Union address. If you thought those were ironic smiles and hoots of approval in the Congressional audience, you were right.

The same merry band of spendthrift Senators united last week to defeat spending cut amendments offered by Republican Senator Tom Coburn to a bill to raise the federal debt limit. No fewer than 57 Senators voted against saving $20 billion by consolidating 640 programs that are duplicated...