(CNN) - A new television ad released Saturday by President Barack Obama's campaign pushes back against his opponent's argument that middle class Americans are not better off than they were when he took office.
The minute-long spot contrasts the deep job losses that happened early in Obama's term with the job growth since. Considering the 4.3 million jobs lost in Obama's first 13 months in the White House, the president remains 261,000 jobs shy of breaking even and then creating new jobs.
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Democrats - including Obama and former President Bill Clinton in their convention addresses - have argued Obama deserves credit for turning around plummeting jobs numbers. In the month with the steepest drop – March 2009 - the U.S. economy lost 799,000 jobs.
Clinton is featured in the ad, criticizing Republicans for wanting "to back to the same old policies that got us in trouble in the first place."
Immediately after that sound bite from his convention address, Obama appears on screen saying, "We're not going back, we are moving forward."
The ad accuses Mitt Romney of supporting a "new $250,000 tax break for multimillionaires" and middle-class tax increases.
"The real question is, whose plan is better for you," the narrator asks.
Romney campaign Ryan Williams responded to the ad in a Saturday statement, saying, "All the false and misleading ads in the world can’t change one simple fact: Americans are not better off since President Obama took office.
"23 million Americans are struggling for work, our national debt has hit a record-breaking $16 trillion, and more Americans are in poverty and on food stamps than ever before," Williams continued. "Mitt Romney’s economic plan would lead to a more prosperous future for middle class families spurring growth and job creation, and ensuring that the next four years are better than the last four.”
The Obama campaign says the spot will run in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia - all battleground states where Romney and his allies are running ads, and where the two candidates are putting down the majority of their shoe leather on the campaign trail.
From CNN Politics
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I have to say, despite the Republicans attacks to the contrary, we are better than we were before Obama took office. Many of the "failures" that Republicans claim, result from the executive and legislative branches failure to comprimise. All politicians need to look in a mirror, and ask what they have truly done to solve our mounting issues.
I like.
Look how much obamas gotten done with no help from the gop. Imagine how much further along the recovery would be if not for the do nothing power crazed GOP congress. Don't just vote for Obama, vote dems back into power in the house also. Watch the economy take off and the debt come down.
all middleclass familes are the backbone of America,Mr President Obama,has a True.
BACKBONE love for the MiddleClass familes
of America,they can be republicans,Democrats,independents,green party,those who vote,and those who dont vote,makeing $250,000 or less,this is the middleclass of America.
Economy is recuperating slowly, true.
Just like driving a car, d for drive and r for reverse. Why are the republicans stuck in reverse?
Why do so many conservatives want liars cheaters and thieves running the country? Shen will they take their party back from the traitors and criminals?
Liar, liar, pants on fire!!!!
I believe the econimy is like grow a garden. You start with preping the soil with different things that will make the soil right for planting seeds. Plant the seed water the plants, pull out the weeds, try to guard against critters and tend it and water it and watch it grow until U can feed the family. A slow process in our countries case the top soils was removed and jobs died very little water (jobs) remained. The President with his policies will heal the country in most ways,we will still have critters to deal with. Moving forward is a true statement!!!!! GOD Bless us all:-):-) Re-elect our President!!!!
He tried to get jobs bills passed to put people to work on infrastructure and the HE!! NO republican HOUSE attached abortion bills to every piece of legislation.
Jobs are needed, but the republicans will not allow it --- YET.
republican women in Virginia are organizing against republican politicians because they are taking away women's rights to testing and healthcare. The republicans have become bullying dictatorrs. Women's rights will go first. YOUR rights will be next.
Vote republicans and baggers out at all levels. Federal, State, Local. Because it is NOT MITT'S Turn.
Question: Would you feel comfortable buying a used car from this man? Didn't think so!!!!!!
I'm with you, President Obama .. I'm with you.
Forward 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!
An economy that has been gaining jobs monthly,instead of losing hundreds of thousands monthly,to me,cannot to be said to be failure.I guess the republican arguement boils down to what clinton said during the convention, "we left him a mess to clean up,he couldn't clean it up fast enough,so put us back".
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha – Good joke. Progress? Please.
And if people were smart the would no what obama is saying is a lie. Obanuism work hard so other people can use ure money! If obama and the dems have it there way by jan the poor and middle class will not get there tax break. And if u have taken govt and ecnomics u no the rich pay more taxes than any group and that only 50 percent of americans pay taxes. The house and senate dems and rep do not pay taxes! Or anything. This is not china the govt does not take care of u unless u are lazy and want handouts!
Romney called up his friend Bibi and asked him what to say -- Just like he said he would in the primaries.
Look it up on UTube. FACT.
USA was number 1 in credit around the world, with got downgraded to number 7, now anther Downgrade by EGAN-JONES from AAA to -AA, very good OBAMA.Stop giving money to Egipt billions every year; America don't give more money to any Muslim countries! Thanks OBAMA THE GREAT DESTROYER.
Don't DOUBLE DOWN on TRICKLE DOWN!!!
Any monthly job growth is better than losing 700,000 jobs PER MONTH at the end of President Bush's 2nd term.
It may not be robust yet, but then the GOP hasn't been helping AT ALL!!!
BRAINS AND INTEGRITY PLEASE. NO HONEST, INTELLIGENT OBSERVER WILL DOUBT THAT THE USA IS IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE, AND GETTING MORE SO, NOW THAN WHEN YOU WERE LOSING CLOSE TO 800,000 JOBS A MONTH
In Eastern PA, parts of VA, and FL, some republicans are writing elderly people telling them to send their driver's licenses back to THEM because their doctors have determined them too old to drive.
If you get one of those letters, IT IS A REPUBLICAN SCAM. Do NOT SEND YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE TO ANYONE. It is your ID to vote. Voter suppression is alive and, sadly, thriving. If you know an elderly person, warn them. They are vulnerable.
when you have to build from the basement up ,with no help from the republican,s–its like the republicans want the middle class to fail
Only a right wingnut would think that losing 800,000 jobs a month under Bush, is better than gaining 4.3 million jobs in the last 29 months under President Obama.
Romney is currently etch-a- sketching and flip-flopping on ALL the issues affecting us, particularly the middle class. We must continue to press the accelerator as we are in FORWARD motion...this is not time to REVERSE as Mitt & Ryan are proposing to do.