(Reuters) - President Barack Obama stressed the U.S. economy is "not doing fine," seeking to clarify his earlier comments about the private sector and accusing his Republican rivals of lacking ideas about how to stoke growth and create jobs.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Obama said that while corporate profits are strong and companies have been adding jobs, small businesses are having a tough time getting financing and other pockets of the economy need more attention.

He repeated his view, expressed earlier on Friday in a press conference, that budget-pinched state and local governments need help to avoid teacher and police layoffs, and that Congress should help buoy struggling homeowners and construction workers who remain out of work several years after the financial crisis.

"It is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine, that's the reason I had a press conference," the Democratic president said, seated next to Filipino President Benigno Aquino.

Republicans in Congress had pounced on his Friday morning comments that the private sector was "doing fine," and Mitt Romney, who is running against Obama for the presidency on Nov. 6, called that statement "an extraordinary miscalculation."

Obama, asked about Romney's response, accused Republicans of lacking ideas of how to help the U.S. economy fully recover.

"What steps are they willing to take right now that are going to make an actual difference? So far, all we have heard are additional tax cuts for the folks who are doing well," he said.

Not to worry,.. the republicans have ideas on how to fix things,.. the first step is making sure that the White House, House and Senate are all republican controlled.

November is coming.

Democrats commit the crime then blame the Republicans.


You're not suppose to know that. Fucking Internet! LOL!

The sweet, sweet irony here is - Romney just did to obama, what obama did to McCain 4 years ago. The EXACT SAME THING.

"It is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine, that's the reason I had a press conference,"

Did he really say that? That he is having the press conference because the economy is not doing fin?! LOL!

MadRusski wrote:

"It is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine, that's the reason I had a press conference,"

Did he really say that? That he is having the press conference because the economy is not doing fin?! LOL!

Amazing right?

This guy is a train wreck,.. and not in slow motion. He's starting to crack, and its becoming more and more obvious even to hard core obama supporters.

even dowd in the NY times was giving the HNIC the guff

one term

hes done

BurnParis wrote:

This guy is a train wreck,.. and not in slow motion. He's starting to crack, and its becoming more and more obvious even to hard core obama supporters.

The problem is that Romney is going to win strictly on the basis of not being Obama.
I think he's just another McCain/Bush/Dole/Karl Rove clone.
Will he fight to seriously reduce the size of gov? Will he really fight for energy development?
Will he do more than just pay lip service to 'free' trade, where we do all we can to help China import crap but their markets are essentially blocked?

I really hope that Romney is smart enough and patriot enough to try to save the country with the Tea Party young Republicans in Congress and, hopefully, the Senate by that time.

If I was him, first thing I would do after repealing Obamacare is implementing Paul Ryan budget. And I would serve it as the following on that Simpson-Bowels commission stuff.

"I think he's just another McCain/Bush/Dole/Karl Rove clone."


AKA: RINO BOZOS

The RINOS expect the "tea party" to help and they probably will but the RINO's will NOT help the tea party. The RINO's hate the tea party.

Sometimes, just not being obama is enough.

Government can't fix the economy. All they can do is get out of the way and let it fix itself.