It's TGIF for the White House when it has bad news

[Sticky]

The Bush administration seems to be following an axiom that guided many of its predecessors: To keep negative headlines to a minimum, release bad news on a Friday.

For at least 15 years, the Census Bureau (news - web sites) has released its annual reports on the nation's income and poverty statistics on a Tuesday or a Thursday. This year, when indicators suggest that the reports will document downward trends, they will be released Friday.

Census spokesman Lawrence Neal says the agency "picked a date out of the air." But the Bush administration has a pattern of announcing controversial or unfavorable news as the weekend begins.


To attract little attention, the strategy makes sense. Friday night's network news broadcasts are the least-watched of the workweek. Saturday newspapers are the week's least-read editions.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=710&ncid=703&e=5&u=/usatoday/20030922/pl_usatoday/11862505

[bif]

1. Srub's well into cocktail hour

at Camp David by the time they release bad news on Friday afternoons.

[FauxNewsBlues]

2. This should be emailed out

To every media critic in the country, even including that putz Howard Kurtz. Let us call talk radio and key everybody in on this. They can only bury this if we allow them. If 11.3 to 11.7 in poverty didn't merit a Friday dump, these numbers have got to be brutal. Let's shine a light on it.

[realFedUp]

3. someone finally noticed....

besides DUers!

[VolcanoJen]

4. You mean that Bush-lovin' McPaper is actually reporting the truth...

... for a change? Damn!!

You know, their arrogance is so absolutely naked that I can't believe people haven't taken to the streets yet.

The most shocking passage to me:

For at least 15 years, the Census Bureau has released its annual reports on the nation's income and poverty statistics on a Tuesday or a Thursday. This year, when indicators suggest that the reports will document downward trends, they will be released Friday.

Census spokesman Lawrence Neal says the agency "picked a date out of the air." But the Bush administration has a pattern of announcing controversial or unfavorable news as the weekend begins.

So, good news comes out on Tuesday, bad news comes out on Friday. Neato, Chimpers! And nice try...