Agree, Ed.  Those rebates are paltry, and don't do f. all for the economy.  The president, no president can stimulate the economy.   The lowered interest rate might help, but the recession we are now entering is inevitable, and won't correct immediately, and it might be more reflective of a global recession.  The Asiatic markets are really unstable at the moment.  I panicked and moved all of my portfolio (and man, is it ever a huge portfolio....heh, heh...kidding, kidding), into Money Market type things in order to stop the hemorrhaging.  I won't earn much, but at least I'll be able to sleep at night for the next 6 months or so.  Wake me, when the party is over.  I don't imagine anything will improve until at least a month or so after the election.   Those rebates are not anything that can correct the economy which Bush helped to ruin with his costly war, but it was designed to "look good" before he vacates the thrown.