I don't claim to know much about economics, other than that I know economies are very complex systems influenced mostly by perception rather than concrete elements.

So I'm sure both supporters and revilers of Bush will spin this news their own way:

U.S. economic growth surged in the third quarter of 2003 to the fastest pace in nearly two decades, the government said Thursday, in a report that was much stronger than most economists expected.

Gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic activity, grew at a 7.2 percent annual rate in the quarter after growing at a 3.3 percent rate in the second quarter, the Commerce Department reported. Economists, on average, expected GDP growth of 6 percent, according to Briefing.com.

So is this evidence of Bush's tax cuts, deficit spending, and other economic policies working like a charm? It certainly seems that way.

I'll be interested to see some of the liberal reaction to this news, especially from the likes of Krugman. Will Bush critics say it's a short-term gain at the expense of long-term economic health? Will they say it's an anomaly? How could they credit anyone in the current Federal Government besides the Bush team (does only credit go to Greenspan, and blame go to Bush?)? Can they credit Clinton???

More as commentary rolls in...