Bush attempts to assuage country’s economic worries

President Bush on Saturday touted the strength of the economy and tried to alleviate the worries many Americans have expressed with regard to pocketbook issues.

The president said the economy is growing despite “high oil prices and softness in the housing market.” Bush acknowledged that a strong economy is about more than statistics.

{mosads}“I know that even in this growing economy some of you have real concerns,” the president said in his final weekend radio address of the year. “Some of you worry about your ability to afford healthcare coverage for your families. Some of you are concerned about meeting your monthly mortgage payments. Some of you worry about the impact of rising energy costs on fueling your cars and heating your homes.”

Bush sought to assure Americans that he put forth plans to address these concerns and noted that Congress passed a flurry of measures this month that will tackle some of the problems.

However, he also noted that Congress must do more and lead by example.

“Most of all, we need to set a good example in Washington by being careful with your money,” Bush stated and again criticized Congress for slipping thousands of earmarks into the omnibus spending bill.

The president added that, as his administration is looking into ways to reduce earmarks, he had come up with his own New Year’s resolution, which is to “work with Congress to keep our economy growing, to keep your tax burden low, and to ensure that the money you send to Washington is spent wisely — or not at all.”