(CNN) - Newsweek magazine got some unsolicited PR Wednesday from President Obama, but it wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement of periodical's latest issue.
At a North Carolina town-hall health care event, Obama asked if anyone had seen the latest cover of Newsweek that boldly declares, "The Recession is Over!"
"I don't know whether you've seen the cover of the latest Newsweek magazine on the rack at the grocery store, but the cover says: 'The Recession is Over,'" the president said as part of his prepared remarks at the event.
"I imagine you might have found that news a little startling," Obama continued. "I know I did."
Obama went on to say while certain indicators are improving, like the stock market and home sales, "That's little comfort if you are one of the folks who have lost their job."
The article in question - with the sub-headline of 'Good Luck Surviving the Recovery' - actually says much the same as Obama did Wednesday - that leading indicators appear to suggest the recession is nearing an end, but the recovery is likely to be a slow process.
"When economists proclaim a recession over, they're celebrating a technicality: they mean economic output has stopped contracting," Newsweek's Daniel Gross writes. "And while that is good news, you might wait a while before adding Judy Garland's rendition of 'Happy Days Are Here Again' to your iPod."
UPDATE: Gross has issued a response to the president in a posting on Newsweek.com entitled, "Obama rips Newsweek's cover. We rip back."
"The article notes—as Obama's speech does—that the discussion surrounding the end of the recession is largely a technical discussion ("GDP growth alone can't feed a family, or a pay a mortgage") and that we face tough economic times and a recovery that will feel a lot like a recession," says Gross.
"It's common to hear journalists complain of being overworked. And in this case, it's true. In addition to writing the first draft of history, we seem to be writing the first draft of the president's speeches," he also says.
From CNN Politics
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Once again, just like with the cop and prof, discussing things that he should not. The entire economy is driven off consumer confidence and he squashed what little the Newsweek cover may have helped. Oh well, what to you expect from an inexperienced community organizer.
The media continues to show their ignorance and their stupidity.
Good. I'm sick to death of the press manipulating the truth. They deserved him slamming them.
Hey CNN – why don't you report about the NEWSWEEK reporter (Daren Briscoe) ... the person assigned to cover Obama's Presidential Campaign.... JUST JOINED THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION!
Gee – no conflict of interest there!!
Not only did the MSM abdicate it's responsibility in covering Obama... Not only did they VOTE for him.... NOW they're officially working for him!
Oh let's not forget CNN selling T-shirts: "Obama raises hand, lifts nation".
Obama and the liberal press just had their "Mission Accomplished" moment. We'll see where unemployment stops.
Obama hasn't finished wrecking the economy.
Newsweek has the news-reporting integrity of People magazine.
I don't think the President "mocked" the cover of Newsweek. Rather, I think he "cleared the air".
Yes, there have been gains as regards tamping down the recession but the unemployment situation will remain unabated until 2010. Those who are still awaiting a quick fix should bear this time frame in mind.
What is the Population of the USA? How much do they earn on an average. What is the anual cost of Health Care? How much are you already in the RED???
First of all. And let us be clear on this, this is a depression, not a recession.
And folks, it is NOT over.
I guess someone is getting fired from their job again
Tha's not a "mock" that's stating the obvious un-truth. The recession is NOT over and as President, he has as responsibility to set the record straight. Plus, I'm sure that he was being jovial and light and not trying to put Newsweek down. CNN please stop sensationalizing everything. That's not healthy.
The media compounded the decline and are now inflating the recovery. Nothing matters except sales! Disgusting
The Recession can't be over.... Obama has more social-welfare programs to RAM through!!
You know what Obama says, "Never let a good crisis go to waste"
Love my president! So unlike the one we had that went around proclaimining MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Typical Media – short on facts, heavy on hype.
The recession is far from over. With such inept media, it is no wonder we get stock market bubbles, rush into unnecessary wars, and believe all the propaganda spewed out by politicians.
Show some restraint and responsibility Media. Walter Cronkite you are not!
Of course he mocks, he loses all of his power if people are not desperate. He does not want the free market to work. Not surprising. This presidency is getting scarier by the minute.
If Its Over, THEN WHY IS OBAMA STILL RAISING TAXES and WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL OUT OF WORK, big questions to the tax king Obama.
I was at the town hall meeting, and Obama said that Newsweek acted stupidly, even though he didn't know all the facts.
With Obamas policies it will be a very long time before we recover from this recession. He doesn't seem to understand that he needs to become business friendly. All these jobs lost will not come rushing back. We have downsized and will stay there for awhile. No shock considering he has no business/job experience.
As startling as were some of their depictions of Obama!
I'm sure he found the title startling...especially since he's doing his best to keep the recession going!
Wasn't there some big-shot economist who predicted way back in December that the economy would be flourishing by mid-summer, and then collapse again, and to a far worse degree, by November.
I forget who it was that said it, but the gist of what he was saying was that we were in for a very long Depression (not recession) and that we should be cautious not to get over-excited by temporary fluctuations in the marketplace.
If John 'free textbook/gas tax' McCain had been elected President, then the headline would be true.......as true as Palin not being a racist intellectual leper and the Pope not being Catholic.
Palin/OctoMom 2012
I would like to say that, much of the current state of the economy is driven by the media, and it is also a product of the state of mind of the average consumer, while we have 10% unemployment, we have 90% employed. Those 90% need to go out and spend/buy product and sevices in order to re-employ the 10% without a job. We do that by positive re-inforsement in the media. If you read over and over, doom and gloom, you begin to believe it, if you read over and over we are in a recovery, you also will begin to believe that. We need to change hearts and minds that we are recovering and start to install hope, rather then doom. We need more good news and less of the bad.
Recession over.., welcome to the Obama depression.