[SoFloFreeper]

Bush's fault.

[rightinthemiddle]

Worst economy since the Depression!

[rightinthemiddle]

Tax cuts don't work!

[Uncle Miltie]

The Sky Is Falling Alert!

[SoFloFreeper]

Let's repeat that first line for a little clarity, only louder:

Output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities rose at the fastest pace in 17 months in October...

There. I feel better. I'm sure this will be the ABC World News Tonight. Yeah right.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

We are all DOOoomed.

Wait a minute.....

Probably not a good time to short the manufacturing sector.

[LS]

I think I predicted this too: Katrina drives up new home costs; rebuilding generates a lot of economic activity in the coast; after December, new homes (relatively) cost way too much, so existing home sales SOAR; by late 2006, the people who've sold their homes are looking to buy houses, and the prices of the NEW homes starts to come down, so there is a new burst of new home sales.

[Quilla]

As a small manufacturer that serves the construction industry, I am pleasantly shocked at our current order and production levels. Uncharacteristically, October was our best month of 2005 and the remainder of the year looks great too.

I hope the President will take the blame for this one. ;-)

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Your tired expression of "Bush's fault" is especially bad here.

You imply Bush has something important to do with industrial production. Most members here seem to associate the state of the economy with presidential action. Most voters associate the state of the economy with presidential action. Most news outlets associate the state of the economy with presidential action.

They are all wrong.

The business cycle's weight dwarfs the weight any input by the president has in determining the strength or weakness of the current state of the economy. The global economy, of which Bush has nothing to do with, also dwarfs the weight any input by the president has in determining the strength or weakness of the current state of the economy.

Your use of that stale post remains so, and in addition, just has no relationship at all to this article. Contrary to what you think, Bush does not have a lever in the Oval Office that controls Industrial Production.

[1rudeboy]

We must wait to hear from Alan Tonelson and Paul Craig Roberts about how to handle this devastating news.

[Preachin']

It probably killed the AP to report something that reflects positively on the president.

[street_lawyer]

It's simply "supply and demand". The supply will meet the demand if government planners and socialists stay out of the way.

[groanup]

Also announced this AM

"Oct housing starts dove -5.6% to 2.014 mln after Sept was revised higher to 2.134 mln. All the regions showed declines. Permits to build fell -5.6% to 2.071 mln from a 32 year high in Sept. The declines reflect the softening market as levels remain very strong above 2 mln."

REPEAT: levels remain very strong above 2 mil.

[Jedi Jake]

Where's Bono?

[raybbr]

By the way, where's the link?

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

We still have factories? Are they talking about a rebound of Chinese factories? I'm confused.

[AZRepublican]

Liberals will be devestated!

[raybbr]

The Federal Reserve reported that industrial output was up a healthy 0.9 percent last month as refineries and oil and natural gas platforms began production again after widespread shutdowns caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Last month's increase followed a 1.5 percent plunge in September, which had been the biggest one-month drop in industrial production in more than two decades.

Okay, it's up a little. But, it hasn't even recovered its losses. Still nothing to shout about.

[1Old Pro]

Notice how the stock market ( a forcasting tool) has been moving up nicely in the past 3 months.

[libill]

What factories? The U.S. doesn't make much any more. And who obscenely raised taxes that closed the factories? Other than that tax cuts do work. All that is needed to see that is open some history books (without the revisionism) or seeing as the lib's like to look at other countries for the wind direction there are lots of foreign countries that have learned that capitalististic tidbit. A capitalististic tidbit that should belong in America, but the egotistical, smarter-than-thou elitists refuse to consider it, perhaps because it's not a Euroweenie principle.

[dangus]

I do believe the economy is quite healthy presently, but this report does NOT show that. It's showing that industrial production is still down from before the Hurricanes, hardly impressive.