Decline in GDP 'Hopeful Sign' for NY Times -- Yet Gain During Bush Years Meant Recession

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Is there a double standard in how the struggling economy is being portrayed during the Obama presidency vs. the Bush administration?

Saturday's lead story by Catherine Rampell and Jack Healy focused on the Gross Domestic Product figure issued by the Commerce Department, showing a 1% contraction in the U.S. economy in the second quarter of 2009. The Times portrayed it in positive terms in a triple deck of headlines:

"In Hopeful Sign, Output Declines At Slower Pace -- Economy Contracts 1%"

In fact, Friday's figures mark the first time in decades that the economy has contracted for four straight quarters. But the Times buried that finding in the 21st of 25 paragraphs:

"The economy withered during each of the last four quarters, its longest string of declines in at least 60 years."

By contrast, one year ago, the Bush administration released GDP figures showing the economy had grown 1.9% in the second quarter of 2008, a substantial increase [doubling] from 0.9% in the first quarter of 2008.

Did the Times celebrate that uptick in growth during a Republican administration?

Hardly. The headline over Peter Goodman's August 1, 2008 story:

"More Arrows Seen Pointing to a Recession"

[What bias?]

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image toon - mny msm = Press buys Oby's gazzilion secrete jobs created