Bush can't spin his way out of this mess

In some respects, the BushCo approach to this campaign can be summed up as "Who ya gonna believe -- us, or your lying eyes?" Thomas Oliphant catches Bush in full spin mode:

One of the many facts that makes Bush vulnerable this year is that his narrative of the economy since 2000 makes no sense to the people who experienced it.

Consider: He "inherited" a brief recession that began in March 2001, and then 9/11 and a raft of business scandals ensued, but we're back and his policies, above all the tax cuts, are working.

The truth as people experienced it: A decline in business investment triggered a recession lasting at most a few months, 9/11 barely put a dent in the consumer who kept going into debt to keep spending, but it's been three years and not only has the economy not recovered yet, it is flirting with stagnation again. Ordinary people never got much tax relief, no more is in store, and with wage income flat as a pancake, and health, energy and education costs soaring, the squeeze couldn't be tighter.

Actually, I'm afraid that as bad as the situation is now, the squeeze can still get a LOT tighter -- which is why it's absolutely imperative to elect John Kerry. (And some more Democratic senators and congressmen to help him fix this mess.)