Washington Post suggests that White House is delaying economic report on purpose

[Jake Stillow]

The dishonesty in this new Washington Post piece is beyond obvious.

This news reports is titled "Administration Delaying Release of Key Economic Report," and it begins:

The Obama administration is delaying release of a congressionally mandated report on the nation's economic conditions, spawning speculation that it is trying to tamp down bad economic news to avoid further complicating the already fraught legislative debate over health care reform.

Makes sense, right? A report may (or may not) paint bad economic picture, therefore the White House covers it up.

But further down, you will read a key passage:

The report, which is normally published by late July, is being delayed by several weeks, the administration acknowledged on Monday. Officials said the hold-up is not unusual in presidential transition years, noting that Presidents George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton each published their initial budget updates weeks late.

"Because of the unique circumstances of a transition year, we -- like President George W. Bush in 2001 -- are releasing the mid-session review a few weeks later than as is usual in non-transition years," Kenneth S. Baer, communications director for the Office of Management and Budget, said Monday.

But who cares about context! Why didn't the WAPO post this relevant information first?

To the mainstream media, what matters is a shocking title that distorts the reality in a way that makes Obama look weak and dishonest, and that makes the economy look worse than it is.

The first

But then, this is the same newspape that fired Dan Froomkin and kept Dana Milbank.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/20/AR2009072002277.html?hpid=topnews

[Kdillard]

1. Yeah I read that and thought typical. There is no reason for the BS

distortion but I am getting used to it.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. The Post has orders from 'above'

[Thrill]

2. Liberal Media

LOL

[ProSense]

4. Peter Orszag addressed this

here.