Gasoline prices crush U.S. confidence -ABC/ Money

[UpInArms]

http://www.forbes.com/personalfinance/funds/newswire/2004/05/25/rtr1384545.html

NEW YORK, May 25 (Reuters) - Confidence in the U.S. economy took an unusually large spill in the latest week as steeply higher gasoline prices loomed in consumers' minds, a survey said on Tuesday.

ABC News and Money Magazine said their Consumer Comfort index dropped to -16 in the week ended May 23 from a reading of -11 the previous week. The index has registered a fall that large only 22 times in 961 consecutive weeks of polls.

The report cited a separate poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post showing 64 percent of respondents said gasoline prices were causing hardship to their families, up 10 percentage points from last month.

Gasoline prices, currently averaging $2.06 a gallon, weighed heavily on the index's buying climate component. Positive readings on the gauge fell four percentage points to 35 percent.

...more...

[BadGimp]

1. BushCo and the Saudi Mafia to the rescue in Sept/Oct

just you wait and see

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Consumer Confidence now at -16, you say?

And what was it during the Clinton Administration.

80?

110?

130?

Ah, for the days when we were "anesthetized by prosperity"!

--bkl

[SquireJons]

4. 89.9 cent/gal in Oct of 2000

At least that's what it was here. Nobody seemed to care until lately. When the Clinton Adm proposed a gas tax, the pugs were up in arms saying that it would kill the economy and certain industries. But when the price of gas doubled during the * mis-administration, nary a word spoken.

But consider, cheap gas at election time didn't help Gore (he was too helpless). So cheap gas may not help w come election time. Pendents say that opinions formed in the spring and early summer are crucial. If so, all Kerry has to do is not fuck up and the public will get out the broom in Nov.

[dbt]

8. SquireJons, NOTHING could have helped Gore.

He WON that election. It was stolen from EVERY American.

Everyone who voted, Democrat or Republikkkan, was disenfranchised by Five Traitors on the Formerly Supreme Court. Out of, say, 100 million votes cast, ONLY FIVE mattered.

/soapbox

:grr:
dbt

[SquireJons]

10. Only 1 really counted

...since the vote was 5-4.

[Spazito]

3. Released after the market closed today...

of course.

[Trajan]

5. JUST like Nixon/Ford ....

The GOP take power: and before you know it ? ...

BAM ! ... Windfall profits for the friends of the GOP at the expense of the american public ....

The GOP HATES taxes: but they SURE the fuck LOVE when the citizens are RAPED by their good corporate friends ...

FUCK THE GOP !

[Don_G]

6. Dimbo Has Less Than 2 Weeks

To explain why the $2.00+ gallon of gas has contributed against the war on "terrorism" after a lot of people re-financed their houses at a lower mortgage rate to buy an SUV.

My Freeper brother was one and "his" job was just outsourced to India.

[SquireJons]

11. What does Freeper mean?

I haven't figured that out yet. Also, what does "n/t" mean? I see these in posts all the time.

Fundies, pugs, pukes... these are all easy, but I'm still scratching my head on the first two.

[Sub Atomic]

12. explanation

'freeper' is the standard term for a denizen of free republic, a typical right-wing, mouth-breather website. if you dare, you can check them out at http://www.freerepublic.com

n/t means 'no text'. in other words, there is no message besides the one they posted in their subject line.

[leesa]

7. Good. Our arrogance needs to be crushed.

[0007]

9. We always go faster when going down hill

I need votes to win in November

[porkrind]

13. Gas prices aren't the problem

Gas prices are just a symptom of the low US dollar, which has dropped in value by a third on the world market. A weak dollar means it takes more dollars to buy anything abroad.

The * mis-administration wants the American public to blame the middle east instead of the White House for poor fiscal and foreign policy.

---

Read about the Right-Wing "Master Plan": http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/sam/sam-contents.html

Have you read "War is a Racket"?: http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm