Retail Sales Down In April

So much for the "great economy" that Bush brags about. If you take out gasoline, the sales only went up by .1 % last month. Causing many economists to believe that a slow in our economy is coming.

(Seattle Times)"When you exclude gasoline sales, which were propelled by huge price increases, households didn't buy an awful lot in April," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors.

Analysts are worried about the impact on the overall economy if consumer demand does weaken. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of total economic growth and has been a standout performer in the current economic expansion.

"The persistence of high gasoline prices will continue to siphon gains in other retail sales categories in the second quarter," said Brian Bethune, an economist at Global Insight.