The Washington Post reports Sunday that Medicare will dominate Kerry’s message and that “Criticism of 17% Premium Increase Sets the Stage for New Focus on Domestic Issues.”

Lois Romano and Vanessa Williams (no, not that one) began: “John F. Kerry promoted his economic message in this strapped battleground state for the second day in a row, blasting the Bush administration on job losses and the news that Medicare premiums for doctor visits will go up 17 percent next year. ‘Let me ask you something: Who are they going to send the bill to?’ the Democratic challenger asked a rally of 12,000 on Saturday. ‘Are they going to send the bill to Halliburton? Are they going to send the bill to Ken Lay at Enron? You bet they’re not. They’re going to send the bill to our senior citizens. They’re going to send the bill to all of you.’”

I mention this because guess which economic story the Washington Post put top of the page, left hand corner yesterday? “Medicare Premiums to Rise by 17.5 Percent: Percentage Increase Biggest in 15 Years.” What did the Post put on the front page of the Business section, top right? “Payrolls Resumed Growth in August: Gain Not Strong: Unemployment Drops to 5.4 Percent.” Oh yeah, the lowest unemployment rate in three years. Pardon me, but wouldn’t “resume” suggest to the reader the month before had seen a drop, instead of the latest in a year of increases?