Mr Bush knows he is taking a risk in pushing ahead with measures which tie him firmly to efforts to revive the economy but which may not have the desired effect.

ECONOMIST: Working on the sceptics | The

"In terms of the election, I will say that if a politician wears a red tie he -- or she -- may be viewed as more dominant and that might have an effect, but again, that's way beyond our data, " he explains.

CNN: Wearing red may boost your sex appeal