Irwin Stelzer: So much confusion about the economy

If you used part of the long weekend to figure out where the economy is headed, and ended up in a state of confusion, you are not alone.

Consider this: A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll shows that 78 percent ofAmericans think we are in an economic recession. A virtually simultaneous CBS News/New York Times poll found that 72 percent of Americans rate the financial situation of their households as “good.”