Predictions of strong holiday shopping season fuel optimism
Goldman Sachs now predicting a boom for the U.S. economy in 2018.
DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING "Cost of Freedom Recap" CONTAINS STRONG OPINIONS WHICH ARE NOT A REFLECTION OF THE OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS INVESTMENT ADVICE WHEN MAKING PERSONAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS. IT IS FOX NEWS' POLICY THAT CONTRIBUTORS DISCLOSE POSITIONS THEY HOLD IN STOCKS THEY DISCUSS, THOUGH POSITIONS MAY CHANGE. READERS OF "Cost of Freedom Recap" MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN INVESTMENT DECISIONS.
NEW PREDICTIONS ON STRONG HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON AND OVERALL ECONOMY FUELING OPTIMISM
Steve Forbes: Absolutely, people are happy that the economy is picking up speed after 10 years of stagnation. On the Russia thing it’s been more fake collusion than actual collusion, despite all of these hearings and investigations, and people want to turn that off.
David Mercer: Well, I think that we have a new normal, wouldn't you say? In that we have the first time, a president with a strong economy inherited, I might add, with the lowest historical modern day poll numbers. There's a disconnect there in that not enough people are giving them enough credit to give him overwhelming or a majority, if you will, of approval ratings.
Elizabeth MacDonald: Listen, here was the new normal; Europe growing faster than the United States. Crabgrass growing faster than the United States at 1.5 percent growth. That was the new normal, I don't get what is going on with the Democrats today. You would have better luck getting a cracker out of an alligator's mouth than getting our tax dollars back from the Walter Mondale tax and spend Democrats right now.
Mike Ozanian: I think what's most important about that 3.5 percent number, David, is that it's coming with a higher percentage of the labor force actually working, so the labor participation rate has also been increasing, that's very important and I think that people are starting to feel better about Trump.
John Tamny: Well, yeah, spending is always and everywhere an effective production, people are producing more and they're more productive and that's economic growth. I'll add that with Americans, it's always-- and this is what Steve said, it's always about economic growth. Americans aren't terribly political people. Look at how many people vote in American elections. Americans are thankfully about producing things and let's end the nonsense about Russia, how embarrassing for us, and focus on growing.
Rich Karlgaard: Whatever you think of Bill Clinton, I applaud his centrism. The Democrats, if they ever want to be competitive again, they need want to go back to peace and prosperity why would that be a bad thing? I think the economy is really on a roll. Trump didn't inherit butkus from Obama.
FORMER IRS OFFICIAL LOIS LERNER ASKS FEDERAL JUDGE TO KEEP TEA PARTY TARGETING TESTIMONY SEALED FOREVER
Rich Karlgaard: Is there a more screamingly obvious admission of guilt by Lois Lerner than to say she wants her testimony about prosecuting conservative nonprofits thrown into a deep dark hole and poured over by cement. I mean that goes against everything we’re all about.
David Mercer: You may want to see the testimony. It might bring curiosity, you know, satisfy that, but the fact remains, a Democratic administration justice department, a Republican administration justice department, a house government oversight committee and three other committees in the Senate and the House have looked at this, and the case is closed.
Steve Forbes: Lois Lerner has been a target since this came out four or five years ago that she was the villain trying to suppress an election. They talk about the Russians manipulating the elections, the IRS did it in 2012, by not allowing the legitimate group to get the tax rulings they needed to participate in the political process. Rich is right.
Mike Ozanian: Given everything that’s come out of Washington recently and all the lies, I certainly don't trust the bureaucracy there to tell us that this doesn't need to come out. We deserve to know as others have said. By the way, if she's really bothered by somebody calling her a thug, she really should have thought of all of that before she did those actions that she committed.
John Tamny: Yeah, what is the Washington post say, democracy dies in darkness, we should know everything about what they were doing. My one frustration with this is this is exactly how Congress wants us to respond, to blame them. The IRS exists to do Congress's bidding, to reach into our pockets for Congress. We should be directing our anger at Congress.
Elizabeth MacDonald: The IRS workers don't like what Congress asks them to do. This echelon is basically asking them to get into policy. Let me back up, I don't agree with vigilante justice. I don't want to see Lois Lerner physically attacked, that’s wrong.
AMAZON ANNOUNCES NEW 'SECRET' CLOUD SERVICE FOR US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES
Mike Ozanian: This cloud is making the intelligence community a lot more efficient. This is going to work out a lot better than if the government was building all its own infrastructure to handle the same stuff.
John Tamny: I don't like it because Amazon is too important of a company. Government spending cripples good companies simply because government spending does not represent the market, it has them doing things they wouldn't normally do in a free market.
Rich Karlgaard: I think China and its military technology is a great threat to the United States going forward and if we don't have the best players on the field, you know, we're going to lose that race, a race we can't afford to lose
Elizabeth MacDonald: It’s a great question, 16 federal agencies have been hacked. I’m leery of it but we’re at a crossroads right now with how porous the government has been with data.
David Mercer: I think this is a viable public-private partnership to ensure that we're providing for the best in our national security.
Steve Forbes: A company like amazon, I think they'll do a better job than the government trying to reinvent the wheel.
STOCK PICKS
(LEG)
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox