The President and his economic soothsayers all say the economy is moving on up. A 7.2 percent growth rate for the third quarter was just announced. That's the highest increase for one quarter since midway through the Reagan administration. No wonder George W. Bush is happy.

But is it a blastoff or just a bounce? Will the summer sizzle turn to fall fizzle? Do people really appreciate "economic growth" if they are still worried about their jobs?

With unemployment still at 6.1 percent nationally, Treasury Secretary John Snow was careful not to pop too many buttons when he announced the economic upswing on Thursday. The administration "has more work to do" on creating jobs, he said.

This President is well aware that economic security makes for contented voters. He watched his father's presidency disappear under the opposition's relentless chant of: "It's the economy, stupid."

Growth is good and sooner or later the lagging job market will be pulled along by the prosperity. But just how good you feel about this trend probably depends on whether you see yourself being closer to "sooner" or "later."

We'd like to hear your take on all these numbers. The economy is up, are you? Send us your thoughts on the realities and forecasts of the economy to The Economy, Editorial Page, Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. E-mail to letters@enquirer.com or fax to 513-768-8610. We'll include a selection of responses in next week's Forum.

Trailmix: Notes and quotes from the political campaigns

Who writes his stuff? - Last week's debate among the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls had plenty of punchlines and rhetorical fireworks. But the evening's most creative barb may have come from Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., while bashing the Bush adminstration: "Gen. Boykin has confused the heck out of the White House with all this talk about the Almighty, because when he talks about the Almighty, the president thinks he's talking about Cheney, Cheney thinks he's talking about Halliburton ... and John Ashcroft thinks they're talking about him - so they don't know where to go."

Until I am one, that is - Kerry rival Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, says he's getting tired of hearing criticism from folks like Kerry who work inside the Beltway: "I'm not going to take any sass from any Washington politician."

Party line - Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., who thinks the nine running for his party's nomination aren't up to the job and ought to take "calm-me-down pills," endorsed President Bush this week: "I've given this a lot of thought. I think that George Bush is the right man in the right place at the right time. This Democrat will vote for President Bush in 2004."

But no calm-me-down pills - Former first lady Barbara Bush summarized how she and her husband, former president George Bush, react to criticism of their son, the president: "He curses and I grit my teeth."