By JEANNINE AVERSA WASHINGTON - Cutting gasoline taxes is not a good way for the country to deal with soaring energy prices, President Bush's top economist said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed Stanford University labor economist Edward Lazear to be a top economic adviser to President George W. Bush. The Senate approved Lazear to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers without debate.

U.S. Senate committee approves Fed, CEA nominations WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Banking Committee of the U. S. Senate on Thursday approved President Bush's selections of Randall Kroszner and Kevin Warsh to be members of the Federal Reserve's board of governors.

By Glenn Somerville WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Persistent huge trade deficits could threaten the U.S. economy but so might a sudden correction if it reduced foreign investment flows, a nominee for the White House's top economic advisory job said on Tuesday.

President George W. Bush has nominated Stanford Graduate School of Business economist Edward P. Lazear as chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The nomination was announced January 30.