U.S. economy reaches escape velocity, poll shows.

A worldwide poll of investors, analysts, and traders conducted by Bloomberg shows more than two thirds believe the U.S. economic recovery is "sustainable," while only a little over a quarter of those surveyed see a return to recession within the next two years. Key drivers of the upbeat forecast include increasing energy independence, rising home values, and "a pause in partisan budgetary battles in Washington" (there's agreement in Washington?). Housing, it seems, is the main talking point: "Anyone who isn't long real estate housing is a moron," Axiom Management's Stan Jonas is quoted as saying.