BushCo on Whether the Country is in a Recession: 'Don't Know'
October 07, 2008
Today, reporters questioned White House Press Secretary Dana Perino on whether the U.S. economy is now in a recession. Perino, however, was unable to answer and became frustrated when reporters continued to push her:
Watch it:
President Bush and his administration have long resisted admitting that the economy is in trouble by quibbling about the technical definition of "recession."
Today, reporters questioned White House Press Secretary Dana Perino on whether the U.S. economy is now in a recession. Perino, however, was unable to answer and became frustrated when reporters continued to push her:
Q Do you think the U.S. economy is in a recession?
MS. PERINO: You know I don't think that we know. ... So I couldn't say. The classic definition of a recession is not something that we could determine now, or forecast. It's something that people look back on. [...]
I don't know -- look, April, I don't know if there's -- if we are in a recession right now. And in fact, there's no one who could actually tell you if we precisely are in a recession right now. [...]
But I don't think anybody could tell you right now if we're in a recession or not. Those are just -- those are determinations that come later.
Watch it:
President Bush and his administration have long resisted admitting that the economy is in trouble by quibbling about the technical definition of "recession."
