Bad economy. Worse writing.

From USAToday.com:

Economic growth slowed abruptly during the second quarter to less than half the pace seen at the beginning of the year, while a key gauge of inflation accelerated, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Gross domestic product grew at a 2.5% annual rate in the April-June quarter, well below Wall Street analysts' forecasts for 3% and less than half the robust 5.6% rate registered in the first quarter. Slower consumer spending, especially on costly durable goods like new cars, was a key reason for slower expansion.

At the same time, an inflation gauge favored by the Federal Reserve — a measure of personal consumption expenditure prices minus food and energy — rose at a 2.9% rate in the second quarter, well ahead of the first quarter's 2.1%. Department officials said it was the fastest rate of increase for the gauge in nearly a dozen years, since the third quarter of 1994 when it jumped at a 3.2% rate.

So, the economy grew by less than expected, and inflation was up more than expected. Let's cut some taxes!

Now, for the extra-special writing: The 2.5% pace was the slowest since a 1.8% growth rate in final quarter of 2005, when the economy was suffering fallout from the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes.

The slowest since the final quarter of 2005. Which was two quarters ago. That's like saying "It's hotter today on any day since Wednesday."

Jeebus.

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