WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2005 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- Despite turbulence from hurricanes and high energy prices, the economy is expected to log respectable growth this year and next, business economists say.

The economy, as measured by gross domestic product, is projected to grow by 3.6 percent for all of 2005 and 3.3 percent in 2006, according to the National Association for Business Economics.

"The hurricane season failed to blow the economy off course," said Carl Tannenbaum, the association's vice president and chief economist at LaSalle Bank.

Remember all that talk from Democrats back during the Presidential campaign about how our economy was on the verge of crumbling? How we were losing all these jobs and everything was just generally going to hell?

Funny how the Democrats never talk about that stuff now.