<DIV> May 6, 2004 By JOHN HARWOOD Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNALЕЕ... "....................Despite months of strong growth and recent good news on payroll jobs, six in 10 American voters say the economy is heading for trouble rather than prosperity, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. Moreover, the proportion of Americans who say the economy has improved in the past year has declined significantly since January, as has the proportion who believe it will improve in the next year. ЕЕЕЕ. "Voters see neither peace nor prosperity on the horizon," say Messrs. Hart and Teeter in a memo summarizing the results.   To be sure, the economy has been growing steadily. Business investment has rebounded and employers have begun hiring. The unemployment rate, at 5.7% in March, is down from its June peak of 6.3%. At the same time, the surge in oil prices is pushing up gasoline prices, inflation is returning as a consumer concern and interest rates on mortgages, car loans and credit cards are clearly on the rise.ЕЕЕЕЕЕ... Yet the poll's findings on the economy may be the most worrisome for Republicans. While events in Iraq have deteriorated, the president's aides have argued that evidence of economic resurgence was bolstering support for his re-election. Mr. Bush this week has attempted to capitalize on that with a Midwestern bus tour delivering the message, "Yes, America Can."................... Voters remain skeptical. Disapproval of Mr. Bush's handling of the economy, 53% to 41%, represents the weakest showing of his presidency. After months of high-profile discussion of job losses, the proportion of Americans who expect better times in the next year has fallen to 42% from 50% in January. By 51% to 40% voters say Mr. Bush's tax cuts were too large, while a 63% majority shrugs off recent stock-market gains as benefiting "only businesses and investors," not "nearly all Americans." URL for this article: <A href="http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108380597660303603,00.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108380597660303603,00.html</A>""</DIV> <hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!? <a href="http://pa.yahoo.com/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/hotjobs/hotjobs_mail_signature_footer_textlink/evt=23983/*http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover">Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs </a>