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Originally Posted by dc_dux
First, SO what would you have done in January 2009, after the loss of 8 million jobs and a year of negative GDP growth?
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Spoke truthfully about business cycles and the underlying strength and resiliency of our economy. Confidence levels are not improving, there is a reason for this, and it has nothing to do with Bush.
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Americans' view of the economy turned grimmer in September amid escalating job worries, falling to the lowest point since February.
The downbeat report was released Tuesday on the same day a survey of CEOs was released that showed dimming optimism about business. The Business Roundtable's poll indicated that executives weren't as optimistic about sales growth as they were in June, suggesting some are putting plans to hire more workers on hold.
The Conference Board, based in New York, said its monthly Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 48.5, down from the revised 53.2 in August. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting 52.5.
The reading marked the lowest point since February's 46.4. It takes a reading of 90 to indicate a healthy economy — a level not approached since the recession began in December 2007.
Economists watch confidence closely because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity and is critical to a strong rebound.
The index — which measures how shoppers feel about business conditions, the job market and the next six months — had been recovering fitfully since hitting an all-time low of 25.3 in February 2009, but Americans are just as downbeat as they were a year ago.
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Consumer, Business Confidence Both Weaken - ABC News
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"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on lunch."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions on vegetarianism while the wolf is of a different opinion."
"If you live among wolves you have to act like one."
"A lady screams at the mouse but smiles at the wolf. A gentleman is a wolf who sends flowers."
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