Worst economy since Hoover, Part 97235

Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 4.3 percent in Q3 2005, according to preliminary estimates

Durable goods orders up

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders for U.S.-made durable goods jumped a larger-than-expected 3.4 percent in October on a surge in demand for aircraft, but non-transportation orders rose a smaller-than-expected 0.3 percent, a government report showed on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, U.S. chain store retail sales -- which economists watch closely as the holiday shopping season kicks in -- rose last week compared to the same week a year ago, reports showed.

Economists had forecast orders for durable goods, expensive items intended to last three years or more, to rise by 1.1 percent and had looked for orders to climb 1.0 percent outside transportation.

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The Administration has finally started responding to the lies about lies about the war. Now would be a good time to start highlighting the healthy expansion over the last ten quarters. Not Clintonesque "look how great I am -- I saved the economy"-style self-praise. But a dose of Reagan is appropriate: "We cut tax rates and look what the creative, productive forces have done!"

Somewhere Paul Krugman kicks a cat.

Somewhere a cat sneers at Paul Krugman.