Fourth, a sharp turn at the fiscal cliff, as President Mitt Romney would have renewed the Bush tax cuts, as a Christmas gift to American taxpayers and Wall Street traders alike as it could help maintain consumer-spending momentum.

FORBES: Wall Street: How Long Will The Obama Correction Last?

In more ways than seemed possible before Christmas, the credibility of Mr Bush's foreign policy is now on the line.

ECONOMIST: Axis of evil

Mr Bush wants it on his desk ready for signature before Christmas.

ECONOMIST: That sinking feeling | The

President Bush told Congress he wants an economic stimulus bill on his desk by Christmas.

CNN: Congress to negotiate economic booster bill

In December, 2005, after President Bush had come and gone and the nation's attention turned to Christmas shopping, The Times-Picayune was deep on all aspects of the story, thick with information vital to struggling residents.

FORBES: Wake Of The Flood

She went to boarding school at Ashley Hall in South Carolina, and it was at a dance during Christmas vacation when she was only 16 that she met George Bush, a senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

WHITEHOUSE: Barbara Pierce Bush

The First Lady, Laura Bush invites Quest into the hallowed halls of the White House for a fascinating insight into Christmas at the presidential home.

CNN: Quest for the festive spirit