NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - That was not the phrase you were looking for, but the White House is rolling with it.

President Barack Obama jumbled the two most successful science fiction franchises during a news conference to discuss automatic spending cuts.

Obama was asked why he couldn't essentially lock key Republicans in a room and not let them out until both sides reached an agreement.

"I am not a dictator. I'm the president, so ultimately if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say 'We need to go to catch a plane,' I can't have Secret Service block the doorway," Obama said. "I know this has been some of the conventional wisdom that' s been floating around Washington, that somehow, even though most people agree that I'm being reasonable, that most people agree I am presenting a fair deal, the fact that they don't take it means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what's right."

A 'Jedi' is an elite knight in George Lucas' "Star Wars" franchise. A "mind meld" refers to an ability Vulcans have in the "Star Trek" franchise.

Faster than warp speed, the mash-up caused a stir on Twitter.

The Internet being what it is, a new meme was born:

Recognizing the growing meme, the White House - which has previously responded to an online petition to build a "Death Star" - embraced it, and Tweeted the following:

Entering "http://wh.gov/jedimindmeld" in a web browser will take users to the president's plan on the sequester.