Retailers Happy With Black Friday Turnout

Major Chains Say Early-Morning Bargains Lured In Bigger Crowds Than A Year Ago

(CBS/AP)  The nation's shoppers -- who have been hibernating in recent months because of worries about rising gas prices and falling home values -- jammed malls and stores for pre-dawn discounts on everything from TVs to toys on the official start of Christmas shopping.

The aggressive tactics -- bigger discounts and expanded hours like midnight openings apparently worked. Based on early reports, Macy's Inc., Toys "R" Us, K-B Toys Inc. and others that pushed big price cuts, reported bigger crowds for the early morning bargains than a year ago. Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said they were also pleased with the shopper turnout.

Electronic gadgets, particularly the hard-to-find Nintendo Wii, topped shoppers' wish lists, though frustrations were high among consumers who couldn't get their hands on the limited bargains.

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Read more: Holiday Hoarders Rake It In Online

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With the economy relying heavily on the consumer, however, it's crucial that the Black Friday euphoria lasts throughout the season, expected to be the weakest in five years.

"I'm really looking for the bargains this year because I'm losing my job; they're moving our plant to Mexico after the first of the year, so I have to be careful," said Tina Dillow of New Richmond, Ohio, who camped out at a Best Buy store near Cincinnati at 3 a.m. because of a great deal on a laptop.

Louise Jackson of Chesapeake, Va., arrived at the MacArthur Center, a mall in downtown Norfolk, Va., at 7:30 a.m., a half hour before it opened.

"We're just browsing, to see what's out here, to see if there's anything that would be worth it," she said. By 9:30 a.m., she hadn't bought anything, although she did place a pair of pants for herself on hold at Nordstrom. Her only shopping strategy was to keep an eye out for good deals.

"The tougher economic conditions are driving more shoppers to take advantage of early bird specials," said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group.

For customer Jennifer Angelet and her shopping companions, this Black Friday was also about the deal, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

We know all the sales so we know if we're getting good prices or not," said Angelet.

Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at NPD Group Inc. agreed, but he noted shoppers were buying selectively. Overall, the biggest draws were consumer electronics, including flat-screen TVs, digital cameras, digital frames, and laptops. In toys, which have been battered by recalls of a slew of lead tainted Chinese toys, there were plenty of hits, including video games such as Activision Inc.'s "Guitar Hero III," toys related to Walt Disney Co.'s "Hannah Montana" and Smart Cycle from Mattel Inc.'s Fisher-Price, toy executives said.

Janet Hoffman, managing partner of the North American retail division of the consulting firm Accenture, believes that some parents, concerned about toy safety, may shift their purchases away from toys to video games and children's clothing. She added that sales of children's clothing fared unusually well Friday.

[ontheleft]

"The incremental cost of staying open is two sales people at $12 an hour"

Too funny. I doubt even in New York City they pay the sales drones $12 an hour, and most in retail don''t even make commission.

[calico91]

They probably meant $12 an hour for the two sales people combined or $6 per hour for each person.

[nothappyatall]

LOL $12 an hour, yeah right, more like $6 if not minimum wage.
I''m sure the employees "love" getting up at 3 AM to go to work for the same wage they normally make.
People are freaking nuts going shopping for Chinese junk at at midnight or 4 AM

[ms38654ob]

A friend of ours who works at a local retailer is tasked to open the store at 5:00am today. She makes $9 normally, but will be making overtime for the early shift, so $12/hour is probably reasonable. This is for Mississippi, not exactly a high paying state.

I question the sanity of anyone falling for this early shopping retail ploy. What''s the point anyway? I''ll do 100% of my shopping online and get free shipping, no sales tax and the best possible prices. Plus I''ll save on gas too.

Most people are born suckers.

[brianbwb-2009]

Here is an idea, everybody stay home, don''t extend your debt on the grossly excessive "holiday" food and toys consumption. Save your money for the next round of gas price hikes early next year.

Close your wallets, lock your credit cards, and put the fear of death in the pockets of the consumption corporations, especially those who advertise the most.

For Christians, return to what Christmas was supposed to be about in the first place, the celebration of the birth date of your deity. If you must part with your money, do so to help those less fortunate than yourselves.

For all others, enjoy the vacation time and use it to get closer to your family, and enjoy a few days of peace.

And go out and support live music.

I know, I know...

[hissteps4u]

Certainly for the few who get in line days early they are the benefactors of the great sales the rest of those crazy people get what they can.

I found sales this year where I got all my shoping done before Thanksgiving and just as good a deal as standing in line at 3am so I am passing it up this year and for ever.

As a Business Man the extra expense of adjusting for the sales and the cost involved and the cost of the goods using lost leader items is not a good idea anymore when you consider the expenses particularly this year when the cost is skyrocketing and fuel is huge and getting worse

[usayesterday]

For all others, enjoy the vacation time and use it to get closer to your family, and enjoy a few days of peace.

And go out and support live music.

I know, I know...

Posted by brianbwb at 11:32 PM : Nov 22, 2007
..................

WHAT? ARE YOU INSANE?!!!

YOU CRAZY SOCIALIST!


(just kidding... but you know that''s what jowand, singinrick, and some others are thinking)!

:-)

BTW, do you celebrate Thanksgiving over in Singapore? I know Thanksgiving is a national holiday for the U.S. however. But if you do or not...

Happy Thanksgiving Brian.

[rohink-2009]

Happy Thanksgiving....... I''m thankful to be living in the United States of America.

[sageprophet]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: PRESIDENT RON PAUL

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more torture prisons
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more erosion of Social Security to pay for militarization
-- No more U.N. (one world government) participation
-- No more NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO or GATT (globalist trade cartels)
-- No more North American Union (loss of U.S. sovereignty)
-- No more federal gun control laws
-- No more illegal aliens pouring-in over our country''s borders
-- No more illegal aliens allowed to roam freely in our streets
-- No more national ID cards (Real ID Act)
-- No more government invasion of your privacy
-- No more federal Laws which force you to take unwanted injections
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more unlimited federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Find-out what CBS hides from you, and join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

"Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine

"Ron Paul doesn''t represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers."
- Me

[sageprophet]

RON PAUL IS THE TAXPAYER''S BEST FRIEND
If he is elected President, Ron Paul will work to abolish the Federal Reserve System as well as the IRS, returning our country to the Gold Standard. He believes, as I do, that our current Income Tax System is unconstitutional, because it is a direct tax that is not equally apportioned as The Constitution requires. Whenever taxes are raised by the federal government, it should be done as The Constitution does require--in an indirect way, which is equally apportioned. This system would benefit all of us, creating more individual wealth, and allowing us to make more decisions for ourselves about our lives. As President, Ron Paul will also work to abolish the Federal Reserve, a group of private banks, run by unelected officials, which loans our government unbacked money which they are allowed to essentially print out of thin air, making each dollar in your pocket worth less all the time, and increasing our national debt to these banks. Worse still. Most of our debt is owned by China (25%) and Saudi Arabia who finance our runaway military spending overseas. This is a threat to our nation. We need to bring our troops home from overseas, and use the trillions we would save thereby to reduce our debt, and to re-invigorate our currency. We can use this money to ensure that Social Security and other essential programs will still be solvent in the future. Vote for Ron Paul. He''s published three books on the topic of sound economics. ronpaullibrary.org

[sageprophet]

RON PAUL TAKES-ON FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appeared before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee Chairman, Congressman Ron Paul on November 8th, and had to face some tough criticism concerning the fact that the Fed has been increasing the money supply while at the same time refusing to raise the Prime Interest Rate in order to curb inflation and devaluation of the Dollar. Paul accused the Federal Reserve of "robbery," telling Bernanke, "There''s a dollar crisis out there and people''s money is being stolen," Paul said. "People who have saved, they''re being robbed. I mean, if you have a devaluation of the dollar at 10 percent, people have been robbed of 10 percent." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke attempted to dispel that notion by explaining, "If somebody has their wealth in dollars and they''re going to buy consumer goods in dollars, then the only effect it has on their buying power is that it makes imported goods more expensive." Paul disagreed, reminding Bernanke, "Yeah, but not if you''re elderly and you have your wealth in CDs. Their cost of living is going-up no matter what your CPI says," adding finally, "Their cost of living is going up, and they''re hurting. And that''s why the people of this country are very upset."

[jetranger7]

Haaa, getting up at 3am or 5am, just to go "Shopping", Seems awful Ignorant to me, what a Joke ! If thats all they got to think about and worry about,no wonder this country is in the shape its in. People have actually lost all their scruples, and so have the Ignorant Retail Corporate Executives, its not about providing services to their customers anymore, its about how their Stock Price on Wall Street, as to weather they "Think" it''ll meet their so called "PROJECTED" Financial forecasts and over-inflated Visions of profit !! I really feel sorry for the Employees who have to endure the Ignorance and Stupidity of Corporate Managements ideas of being there at some store at midnight or 3am, while the Executives are home in their "WARM-COZY" Beds next to a Fireplace with their Wives and kids, while they''ve brain washed their workers into getting up to gin at such Stupid Hours for something this Silly and absurd !

[rgscott1]

First most retailors work 7/14 days to prep for the term Black Friday, they do not make but6/7 dollars an hour, then they do not get to have a family life so that some cheap retailor and a even cheaper customer who does not have a life nor a family, can save a few dollars vs the priceles time you can and should spend with your families. Then when they get their the 2 items the store advoed do not have it, so you start cussing and yelling at some mom or dad who has been required to be at the store since 2 or 3 or 12(so stores do not have to pay overtime or nothing if you are salary)and then forget what the day really stands for. So let us do what you cheap customers really want to be open 24/7 never closed and giving everthing away and what ever retailor really wants for you to drop all pride, religous beliefs, family time and spend every dollar you have so that stockholders and highend management at corporate offices can have a big bonus $100,000.and more, and forget what the events of thanksgiving and Christmas are really about, life, family,thankfulness, Christ. O well they are just another day!

[yongamerica]

Ron Paul is known to serve Megatron in his evil plot to enslave mankind. Ron Paul has taken to calling himself Starscream. He is considered dumb and dangerous.

[edward1975-2009]

Just what we need a bunch of half-boozed up people driving to shopping malls. What retailers couldn''t wait till tomorrow to kick off the busiest shopping day of the year.

[beehive21-2009]

Very illogical.

[trillion1]

I am so sick of the Ron Paul @rap showing up everywhere. And I like the guy. I think this year retailers and the goverment are in for a shock. With the cost of gas, food and home heating rising unchecked, the costs of medical and drugs, the houseing collaspe and taxes Americans are at the breaking point.

[consumercare]

This is a hectic time for everyone.
I found a great website that is giving away FREE healthy energy boosting supplement Samples to get us thru this holiday political season, go to Nano-coffee.com

[sageprophet]

RON PAUL TAKES-ON FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appeared before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee Chairman, Congressman Ron Paul on November 8th, and had to face some tough criticism concerning the fact that the Fed has been increasing the money supply while at the same time refusing to raise the Prime Interest Rate in order to curb inflation and devaluation of the Dollar. Paul accused the Federal Reserve of "robbery," telling Bernanke, "There''s a dollar crisis out there and people''s money is being stolen," Paul said. "People who have saved, they''re being robbed. I mean, if you have a devaluation of the dollar at 10 percent, people have been robbed of 10 percent." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke attempted to dispel that notion by explaining, "If somebody has their wealth in dollars and they''re going to buy consumer goods in dollars, then the only effect it has on their buying power is that it makes imported goods more expensive." Paul disagreed, reminding Bernanke, "Yeah, but not if you''re elderly and you have your wealth in CDs. Their cost of living is going-up no matter what your CPI says," adding finally, "Their cost of living is going up, and they''re hurting. And that''s why the people of this country are very upset."

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by USAyesterday

Thanks for the well wishes, same to you and yours.

While not an official public holiday here, it can be seen and felt in all the TV shows, marketing, and ads for turkey sales, and the nine yards, the beginning of the Christmas holiday shopping season. Many take leave from work, and it is usually granted. The Christmas lights and decorations displayed on the main shopping drag, Orchard road, rivals anything seen in New York, or any major US city, enough electric power to drive Santa Monica, Ca, and probably can be seen from space.

Yes, the beginning of the Christmas shopping season is here, Christmas songs in all the shopping malls and restaurants, balls out, the whole ten yards. It is all pervasive, and can even be felt in majority Muslim Indonesia, just a little more subdued.

[ichabod57]

Like many others, I just plan on staying home on "Black Friday". I dislike crowds. Most of my shopping will be done online, and most of it toward the middle of December.

What''s the rush?

[reel-crazy]

It''s amazing how many people bow to their corporate masters this time of year.

Seeing greedy China-Mart open with a jammed parking lot of idiots on Thanksgiving Day was pathetic at best, too. What happened to America and it''s values on one of two holidays that ALL stores used to be closed? I hold sitting around my dysfunctional family quite sacred.

Retailers are going to have a rude awakening next week, however, after this one day buying frenzy is over and you slaves snap back to reality....

[panhandlpete]

Is this economy great or what? Do we remember the decidor saying...."everything is doing well, the GDP is up, unemployment is down as more jobs have been created and the stock market is doing great........"

T,ain''t so people. From the above report, one can see that the rich ARE doing well, but middle and lower income folks are starting to feel the pain........and it is only the beginning.

Greed drives us all....retailers want to up their profits, buyers want to feel they save a few dollars. Sorry retailers, but this year I am refraining from buying during December as I am SAVING for that cold day in February. By then, we may have some idea who will be leading this country out of this mess!

[klingon69]

I have been in retail more years than not. I always dread Black Friday, as The company doesn''t stock us with enough products that they advertise. A ZUNE was advertised, and we had 2 in our store, of course they were gone in the first 15 minutes, so now the customers are cursing at us. As a manager, I am required to work from 5a - 10p (17 hrs), since I am salary. Unfortuneately, our store also has specials on Saturday, and this year they want us to open on Saturday the same time as Friday.
However, the one thing that customers do that really chafes is during regular times, they come in at 5 minutes or less until closing, and want to do something that takes around 20-30 minutes to do(ie:activating a cell phone).

[trillion1]

"Mania" is an excellent word to discribe this story since ''mania'' is a form of insanity. I think most Americans are more concerned with the money for future gas, food, and heating bills than they are about Christmas junk. I''m not saying we won''t shop this season (mostly on line)but we are steering clear of all the electronics. Not just because it''s made cheaply in China but because we don''t NEED it. Is someone so stupid they have to have GPS to know where they are. (Maps were invented centuries ago and hey, they still work.) Well, if they are at a store at 4 a.m. perhaps they are.

[hypnotoad72]

Nice to see prices approaching what the Chinese pay for them*.

Klingon69 - my condolences to you. Especially regarding the idiot customers who can''t fathom that the sales are meant to get people in, quantities are meant to be limited (the store would otherwise go broke!), and so on. And, to digress, it is more logical to go to a local store to purchase goods than the internet (at least in terms of transport and gas usage...)

(* Tinfoil time - If software companies sell their applications for $3 over there, or if the movie companies sell legit DVDs at a fraction of the price here (but don''t mention free trade as it would be wrong for the rest of us to take advantage of free trade)...)

[usayesterday]

1. Buy used products from individuals on Ebay, Craigslist.org, or any classified ad.

2. Shop at independent retailers, "small box" stores.

3. Buy products made in America.

Enjoy the holidays knowing that you helped your fellow AMERICANS enjoy their holidays as well, by giving your money to the people in your community and NOT some sell-out multi-national company poisoning/endangering you from cheap foreign made products!

[trillion1]

Odd. I didn''t waste a drop of gas shopping on the internet and it came in the mail which we get everyday so not a drop of gas was wasted there either. We do shop locally most of the time but always make several stops per trip also to use as little gas as possible.

[omega39-2009]

Shea, of Brooklyn, and two friends spent a total of about $2,500 on two laptop computers, an Xbox game console, a vacuum and several other items. They estimated they had saved about $1,500 - after waiting for 35 hours outside the Fifth Avenue store to make sure they were first in line, he said.

I wonder how many of the above mentioned idiots didn''t have time to vote in the last election.

[everyone8]

Receive a Free Letter From Santa Claus, 100% Free At:
www.poconocommunitynews.com

[g-gfather]

brianbwb...PEACE TO YOU MY FREIND, ANY TIME OF YEAR AND ANY PLACE ON EARTH. HUMANITY DESPERATELY NEEDS PEOPLE OF WISDOM TEACHING OUR CHILDREN BY DEMONSTRATIVE ACTS OF COURAGE TO CLIMB THE PATH OF PEACE, FOR WE HAVE BY HATE AND IGNORANCE FALLEN INTO A HOLE THAT WILL ONE DAY BURY US ALL. LOVE TO ALL...TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. "IMAGINE" Greatgrandfather....look into the eyes of a child.

[ssm9451]

BUY A BOOK!!

[famulla-2009]

Sir
This is exactly as we have in Mecca when the pilgrims come to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage. The one month before, that is now in 2007(there is a gap of 11 odd days between the lunar and our calendar moth). The Hajj is one time in life, a must, for the Muslims .What happens at his time in Saudi cities, is the markets are flooded with all types of commodities, perfumes, bags, watches, electronic, name it, it is here for sale. More the reason of the fake goods entering as most of the pilgrims may never come again. Therefore, the vendors try to sell all types of fake, broken, off the usual ISO or any standards at a throw away price.
The bag is so attractive that in spite of running short of cash, you end up borrowing cash, only to find at times that you were tricked into buying fake perfume or the very fragile belt of the wrist watch or rings that looks gold. There are some honest shopkeepers to tell you that the gods are fake and cheap. They will tell you what is originals and what is the quick sale and no warranty or guarantee.
I thank you
Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD
P.O.Box 6044
Dar-Es-Salaam
Tanzania
East Africa

[krazykat2525]

i agree with trillion1;see thru the emotional hype perpetrated by greed (they end up with your money);find many items with tags still on at fraction of cost at Goodwill, Salvation Army;gotta luv those shopping networks,many many items brand new at these locations & St Vincent''s for $5 or slightly more, far better deals than at stores the day after Thanksgiving.Oh, & if you wait & buy out of season from the stores,you can get up to 70% off the lowest marked price. Electronics though are cheapest usually at this time of year, although closer to Christmas can get a lot better price.

[hypnotoad72]

Today I will be buying a book. Part of a set. It''s a series of study guides in the IT industry, but I can always hope...

[omega39-2009]

Other than Usual Food, we plan to spend ZERO this Holiday.
Posted by beecuster

That isn''t very sporting of you, who will lift the Chinese and Indians out of poverty if you sit on your wallet?

[denn034]

The analysts are probably right about the "sales gains to be the weakest in five years" given the "lead-tainted toy recalls and higher prices for food and gas" that I doubt buyers are shrugging off as this story begins by saying.

[omega39-2009]

Today I will be buying a book. Part of a set. It''''s a series of study guides in the IT industry, but I can always hope...
Posted by hypnotoad72

Hmmmm, the multinational I work for just layed off most of their US IT department and relocated the jobs to Costa Rica. A few lucky US IT workers were able to come back as temporary employees.

[excoachken]

Who could afford to go to a Mall, with Bush-Gas @ $3.50/gallon. I can only look through my computer to watch all those with Halliburton and Shell Oil stock fight other wealthy Republicans on their way into Bloomies. I think that with all this mayhem, the Prez will have to declare Marshall Law in downtown Crawford, at least until Barbara and Jenna and Laura get done. Oh yeah, Texas is ALWAYS under Marshal Law!

[vastr-wcon]

.
For those stuffing money into the markets like there is no towmorow, we can rule out any rational person that can see the pending economic catastrophe in the US. That leaves the following:

1. American morons blinded by greed
2. Saudis investing the mega-profits from $100/barrel oil
3. Anybody in the world that has a currency that isn''t as worthless as the dollar, so making US stocks cheap.

That''s as good - if not better - analysis than any of the talking heads could ever provide!

.

[Hybdiesel]

I still have the same amount of money as I had yesterday (except for the falling dollar). The media will not determine when or how I will spend it.

[king77shaw]

good comments ttinsley - scale back and keep it local .. it''s becoming a matter of survival

[usayesterday]

Hmmmm, the multinational I work for just layed off most of their US IT department and relocated the jobs to Costa Rica. A few lucky US IT workers were able to come back as temporary employees.

Posted by omega39 at 02:30 PM : Nov 23, 2007
.................

That''s because you demanded more than $4 an hour for your work!

DAMNN YOU WORKING SCUM!

American workers.... enemies to the corporate elite!

:-(

[dovestar]

Today is Black Friday--one of two Fridays in the year which is referred to by a nickname. What''s the other one?

[usayesterday]

I''VE GOT IT!!!!

Millions of Americans were waiting in line to buy that heavily discounted big screen flat TV....

...so they could all watch the fall of America in High Definition!

[omega39-2009]

That''''s because you demanded more than $4 an hour for your work!

DAMNN YOU WORKING SCUM!

American workers.... enemies to the corporate elite!

:-(


The funny thing is USAyesterday, said multinational used to be bullish on India but salaries over there are skyrocketing and they figure next year will be 1:1 with an American worker. Hence the IT work going to Costa Rica. This finally puts to rest the corporate lie that its about skills and not salaries as they claim.
Posted by USAyesterday

[poopusbuttus]

USAYesterday: Hey dude, I think I''ve summed you up. Your a paranoid alarmist. A doomsday scenarioist that exhibits abnormal behavior such as the paranoid schizophrenic that sits in his drape covered window taking down notes about what his neighbors are doing...

Your a simple man, a lonely man, a sad man with a contiguous dissappointing past due to the fact that none of your clairvoyent predictions about anything has ever come true.

Moreover, and perhaps this is the most important statement, no one listens to you on here.

USA will always stay strong. So please, continue to "Waller" in your own confused mental state because quite frankly, we enjoy it on here....

[usayesterday]

This finally puts to rest the corporate lie that its about skills and not salaries as they claim.

Posted by omega39 at 05:29 PM : Nov 23, 2007
..............

Oh, I know. It doesn''t take an engineer to figure out that American companies who have grown used to paying off-shore workers between $2 to $4 an hour (U.S. equivalent) that they would all of the sudden start paying 10 times that amount once they found a bunch of American engineering graduates at their door step.

The lie (as you said) that "...there''s not enough skilled/educated work force in America" is clearly a bunch of bull ******!

Oh, and "poopusbuttus"... do me a favor:

Please cut a hole in your cocoon in which you live, and tell me what you see. Perhaps you may need to move your cocoon outside of your gated country-club community.

I guess you don''t read... let alone read the reports on this site and the comments by many other middle class AMERICANS like me, who have faced many downward pressures on our daily lives (specifically financially related). A pessimist I am. An "alarmist" I am not. Some of my statements are in jest, but I guess I have to put a note on the end of those statements to avoid ruffling your feathers... or accidentally knocking off those rose-colored glasses you like to wear.

[poopusbuttus]

USAYesterday -- Ahhhh yes. Pessimism! We''ve gone very far as a country from pessimists like you. HAHAHAHA.

[usayesterday]

USAYesterday -- Ahhhh yes. Pessimism! We''''ve gone very far as a country from pessimists like you. HAHAHAHA.


Posted by poopusbuttus at 07:15 PM : Nov 23, 2007
.............

A certain president 16+ years ago had a pessimistic view of invading Iraq (after liberating Kuwait) because he knew it would be a quagmire and thousands of American soldiers would lose their lives. He did not continue the military operations and was widely criticized for it.

A certain president was optimistic over 4 years ago that we could invade Iraq and win, and invade it with less than 100,000 troops to start. Thus failing to secure the countryside and essentially allowing thousands of foreign terrorist/fighters into the country.

So your type has essentially drained our economy and skyrocketed our national debt while our infrastructure, education, health care, and many other domestic programs are in desperate need of repair and/or improvement. All the while, thousands of our own soldiers have died because of poor planning and either blind optimism or just underlying greed.

Take that into affect, along with the falling dollar and rising energy/oil/gas prices which WILL spell disaster for the American economy... definitely in the short term... and perhaps in the long term.

All thanks to you and your fellow Bush-loving "optimists".

Go ahead and give yourselves a pat on the back and yell:

"Mission Accomplished!"