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Politics : The Obama - Clinton Disaster -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John who wrote (67732)	3/16/2012 9:48:03 PM
From: GROUND ZERO™	4 Recommendations Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 103300

When a U.S. soldier kills 16 Afghan people, oscumbag is outraged and apologizes and calls for an immediate investigation... BUT when a moslime terrorist goes on a shooting spree at Fort Hood and murders 12 of our troops, oscumbag said nothing and did nothing, he went golfing and had nothing to say one way or the other... GZ

To: John who wrote (67732)	3/18/2012 1:44:50 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	1 Recommendation Respond to of 103300

nergy Costs Boost Consumer Prices . By NEIL SHAH Soaring gasoline costs were behind a jump in the prices shoppers paid last month and are showing signs of hitting Americans' confidence in the economy. Consumer prices increased 0.4% from January, the biggest rise since April 2011, as gas costs jumped 6%, the government said Friday. Meantime, a survey of consumer sentiment unexpectedly dropped, as gas-price worries outweighed optimism about improvements in the job market. . Pricier gas could crimp the economic recovery by weighing on consumer spending, which fuels two-thirds of U.S. economic growth. Economists have hoped a stronger job market would help Americans spend more on goods and services, but rising prices make that harder. "People are feeling the pain at the pump," said Sam Bullard, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities in New York. "They're having to dip into savings, and they can only do that so long." The problem is workers' incomes aren't rising as fast as the prices they pay, Mr. Bullard said. Friday's report showed inflation-adjusted hourly earnings fell 0.3% in February, the biggest fall since August, with price boosts eating up a small wage increase. The combination of stagnant wages and higher fuel prices is taking a toll. The University of Michigan's consumer-sentiment survey for early March, released Friday, fell to 74.3 from 75.3 at the end of February—well below the 76 level economists forecast. "The rise in gasoline prices is the main reason consumer sentiment fell," said Dean Maki, an economist at Barclays Capital in New York. Consumers are taking the latest gas-price jumps more in their stride than they did last year's increases, thanks to improved hiring, Barclays Capital's Mr. Maki said. They are also simply getting used to paying more. "This is a more modest increase off of already high prices," Mr. Maki said. Still, rising prices pose one of the biggest risks to the U.S. economy in the near term. While oil prices have risen gradually this year amid rising tensions with Iran, a sudden spike could have more damaging effects.