Conference Board says

[Biggus Piggus]

West South Central--Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas--has the best consumer confidence in the whole United States of America.

Suppose last year's energy spike has something to do with that.

Highest confidence reading, least year-over-year decline.

Expectations of income decreasing next six months...24% of US consumers, highest by far in the history of the survey dating to 1967.

Plans to buy a home in next six months...2.3%, lowest since the 1981-82 recession.

Plans to buy a car within six months...hovering well under 5%, record low territory.

The "present situation" index is in line with 1983 and 1992 lows, but "expectations" index is its worst ever.

A whole lotta people must feel shaky about their employment to make those numbers.

This, Mr. Obama, is the number you have to manage.  NOT health insurance, you Frank.

Consumer expectations.

Wake the Frank up.

[HognotinMemphis]

West South Central--Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas--has the best consumer confidence in the whole United States of America.

Suppose last year's energy spike has something to do with that.

Highest confidence reading, least year-over-year decline.

Expectations of income decreasing next six months...24% of US consumers, highest by far in the history of the survey dating to 1967.

Plans to buy a home in next six months...2.3%, lowest since the 1981-82 recession.

Plans to buy a car within six months...hovering well under 5%, record low territory.

The "present situation" index is in line with 1983 and 1992 lows, but "expectations" index is its worst ever.

A whole lotta people must feel shaky about their employment to make those numbers.

This, Mr. Obama, is the number you have to manage.  NOT health insurance, you Frank.

Consumer expectations.

Wake the Frank up.

Use phuk instead so it won't show up as Frank.

[Road_Hog]

West South Central--Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas--has the best consumer confidence in the whole United States of America.

Suppose last year's energy spike has something to do with that.

Highest confidence reading, least year-over-year decline.

Expectations of income decreasing next six months...24% of US consumers, highest by far in the history of the survey dating to 1967.

Plans to buy a home in next six months...2.3%, lowest since the 1981-82 recession.

Plans to buy a car within six months...hovering well under 5%, record low territory.

The "present situation" index is in line with 1983 and 1992 lows, but "expectations" index is its worst ever.

A whole lotta people must feel shaky about their employment to make those numbers.

This, Mr. Obama, is the number you have to manage.  NOT health insurance, you Frank.

Consumer expectations.

Wake the Frank up.

He needs to get a hold of things and get it out of the hands of Pelosi.  Clinton was much fiscally conservative. 

[SpareRib]

West South Central--Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas--has the best consumer confidence in the whole United States of America.

Suppose last year's energy spike has something to do with that.

Highest confidence reading, least year-over-year decline.

Expectations of income decreasing next six months...24% of US consumers, highest by far in the history of the survey dating to 1967.

Plans to buy a home in next six months...2.3%, lowest since the 1981-82 recession.

Plans to buy a car within six months...hovering well under 5%, record low territory.

The "present situation" index is in line with 1983 and 1992 lows, but "expectations" index is its worst ever.

A whole lotta people must feel shaky about their employment to make those numbers.

This, Mr. Obama, is the number you have to manage.  NOT health insurance, you Frank.

Consumer expectations.

Wake the Frank up.

I believe what we are seeing is that the economy is NOT Obama's main interest.  Here's a current opinion -  Link, title, and last paragraph.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/a_dishonest_gimmicky_budget.html

Deception at Core of Obama Plans

Clever politics, but intellectually dishonest to the core. Health, education and energy -- worthy and weighty as they may be -- are not the cause of our financial collapse. And they are not the cure. The fraudulent claim that they are both cause and cure is the rhetorical device by which an ambitious president intends to enact the most radical agenda of social transformation seen in our lifetime.

[Biggus Piggus]

Conference Board isn't projecting unemployment to go any higher than 9.5%.  I don't get that from their data.

[SpareRib]

Conference Board isn't projecting unemployment to go any higher than 9.5%.  I don't get that from their data.

We are still losing non-farm jobs at the rate of better than 600k/mo.  Most recent month pegs unemployment at 8.1%  If history holds true, this number will be revised upward within 90 days.

While the government attempts to create work, what is needed is jobs.  Thru sheer inertia, I'd still be greatly surprised if we don't surpass 10% before all is said and done.

Until some real clarity is provided for the financial community, the folks that can create jobs (businesses) will not be looking to invest capital in expansion. 

"Stocks soared, sank and then clawed their way back to a mixed close Friday after the Labor Department released its February jobs report.

Employers cut 651,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate jumped to 8.1 percent. The government also revised its December and January job loss figures up to 681,000 and 655,000, respectively. Many market participants had been bracing for even worse data."