For Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 2007 has been a good year. The economy is surging, even as the United States shows signs of weakness. Rising real wages, school enrollments and life expectancy have finally nudged Brazil into the United Nations' elite of "high human development" nations. One by one Lula has seen top aides and allies fall to corruption scandals, but so far nothing seems to dim his aura. Now some of Lula's most ardent devotees in the ruling Workers Party (PT) are even pushing to change the Constitution to allow him to run for a third consecutive term in office. "All the stars are aligned," says Walter Molano, a specialist in emerging markets with BCP Securities.