This isn't a rosy time for anyone. The economy is not great, consumer confidence is down, and war is a distraction. People are spending more time watching TV and less time at the malls.

Bad weather's really been an impediment for apparel sales. This is the time when people want to buy shorts and shirts for spring. They're not going to be doing that when there's two feet of snow out.

The big bet for the apparel merchants is not how Easter sales will shape up in April but how the weather acts.

I expect the economy to rebound to above-trend growth. We just hit a soft spot in the second quarter, ... If it turns out that the economy continues to grow below trend ... if the data continue to be as weak as they have been in the past three months, with a sufficient rise in the unemployment rate, you can't rule [a rate cut] out.

The economy is compounding saturation issues in the installed base, ... So I think until we see consumer confidence improve and the general economic situation improve, then we should not expect the upturn.

The doldrums of summer haven't dampened the demand for our cars and trucks. Confidence in the economy still remains strong and continues to drive consumer demand for big-ticket items.