NASDAQ is at an 18-month high.

From my newspaper this morning (no online link:)

U.S. retail sales rose in July by the most in four months, led by purchases of automobiles, clothing and electronic goods. Sales rose 1.4 percent to $317.2 billion after a revised 0.9 percent increase in June, according to the Commerce Department. The increase reflected the start of the mailing of $400-per-child tax-refund checks along with incentives from automakers. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of the economy. The consensus of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News is that August numbers released Friday will show spending rose 0.9 percent.

Hey, go to a financial site and browse on your own. The Democrats are clinging to the unemployment rate like a life preserver.