Forecast: U.S. economy like an airplane at "stall speed"

In a not-so-cheery economic forecast released today, UCLA compared our economy to a stalling plane.

"...When the economy slows to a 1 percent pace, it runs the risk of falling into an actual recession, just as when an airplane's velocity dips down to its 'stall speed' and falls out of the sky," wrote David Shulman, senior economist for the forecast.

The report says that the problems in the housing market "will push the national economy to the brink of recession, but growth in other areas should put the country back on a slow road to recovery by 2009," according to the CNNMoney.com story.

More: "Economic growth will remain 'tepid' for the remainder of 2008 and return to 3 percent in 2009...That growth is just above the traditional definition of a recession - two consecutive quarters of decline in gross domestic product."

"The declining housing market could remain at the heart of the nation's economic woes for some time."

Surprise - The outlook is worse than one released yesterday by the National Association of Realtors.