(snip) but the National
Bureau of Economic Research (which dates business cycles) says the recession
actually began in March 2001, after Bush took office in January."

I want you to look real hard at this statement. Bush was sworn in Jan.
18th. In the same report you quote it clearly states the following:

"The Bureau waits until the data show whether or not a decline is large
enough to qualify as a recession before declaring that a turning point in
the economy is a true peak marking the onset of a recession."

"Recession" isn't an instantaneous occurrence. The declaration of a
"recession" is the culmination of several factors such as employment,
production,income and trade sales. The stats are charted with all the
peaks and valleys and it isn't until they all align into a peak and begin a
downward trend that a recession is declared. What is important to note is
that it was long overdue. We had just come out of the longest expansion
period in the history of American economy, largely in part from the "Dotcom
phenomenon" and what you saw was the inevitable correction of such.

What does this mean? Well it means that ,yes, the recession did start 1-1/2
months after the president took office. If you are naive enough to believe
that he was instrumental in causing the recession in such a short time then
take heart in this fact. He corrected the recession in the shortest time in
history..... which is also stated in said report.

The sad fact is that the necessity of debates so close to the elections are
chiefly due to the fact that there are way too many uneducated voters who
are influenced by perceived facts and figures they don't even possess the
capacity to understand.

Too many people equate recession with depression......maybe it's because
they rhyme.