America: Everyone Has A Job!--UPDATED

Meanwhile, Ann Althouse notes the economy is humming and no one is talking about it. She says:

It's a last-minute issue, but it should have been a big issue all along.

Amen, Ann. I think part of the reason it has been on the backburner is because the October surprises that started in September (Foley) have kept the Republicans bobbing and weaving like Casius Clay.

Then, Kerry opened his yapper (a gift to Republicans) but even that is off-topic. The Republicans should be high-lighting the economy non-stop.

As an aside, I saw in Saginaw, Michigan that 28% of the people there are below the poverty line. What the? While the South hums, Michigan and other tax-heavy states struggle. I have a friend in upstate New York who is just being killed by taxes. His impression is that the economy isn't doing well.

UPDATE: Could it be that headlines like this might be why Republicans don't get credit for the economy? "Jobless rate at five year low, fanning fears of inflation", The Mercury News. Yup, the economy going well is a bad thing. The text is even funnier:

Democrats highlighted such forecasts as they criticized Bush's handling of the economy. ``Job growth was too modest to allay concerns about whether job opportunities will expand in coming months,'' Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, ranking Democrat on the congressional Joint Economic Committee, said in a written statement. ``Staying the course on the president's policies has failed to deliver greater prosperity and economic security for most families, which is why America needs a new direction.''

And this.....

Considering that some workers lack the education and skills to be readily employable, economists regard any unemployment rate below 5 percent as striking. ``We are beyond full employment,'' said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com.

Just remember, this is bad news. Repeat often. Republicans = Bad Economy. There, now you've got it!