WASHINGTON  On yet another morning of grim economic news, President Obama sought to further distance himself from his predecessor on Friday as he announced steps that he said would strengthen organized labor and improve the lot of middle-class Americans.

At a White House ceremony, the president signed three executive orders that he said would “reverse many of the policies towards organized labor that we’ve seen these last eight years, policies with which I’ve sharply disagreed.”

Soon afterward, Vice President Biden drew applause when he flung another dart at former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney (on Mr. Cheney’s 68th birthday) as he told labor officials in the audience, “Welcome back to the White House.”

Mr. Obama, following up on his Thursday condemnation of “shameful” bonuses for Wall Street bankers, seized on the latest economic numbers to push yet again for enactment of his $800 billion-plus economic stimulus package. He and Mr. Biden spoke not long after the nation’s gross domestic product reflected its greatest contraction in a quarter-century.