Romney Campaign Press Release - Obama's Imaginary Recovery: You're "Absolutely Better Off"

"President Obama had a clear message today for the 23 million Americans who are struggling for work: you're 'absolutely better off' in the Obama economy. But the President's out-of-touch comments won't change reality for Americans facing declining incomes, chronic unemployment, skyrocketing prices, and poverty on track to hit fifty-year highs. Mitt Romney's policies will finally deliver relief for the middle class by creating new jobs and higher take-home pay for American workers." – Amanda Henneberg, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Today, President Obama Claimed Americans Are "Absolutely Better Off" Than They Were When He Was Sworn Into Office:

President Obama, Today: "We Are Absolutely Better Off Than We Were When I Was Sworn In..." "'Are we better off than we were four years ago?' I asked. The president responded quickly. 'We are absolutely better off than we were when I was sworn in and we were losing 800 thousand jobs in a month,' he said." (Ryan Nobles, "NBC12 Exclusive: Obama Defends Record In One On One Interview," NBC 12, 9/5/12)

• Click Here To View

President Obama's Latest Position Puts Him At Odds With His Campaign Surrogates And Even Himself:

President Obama, In October 2011: "I Don't Think They Are Better Off Than They Were Four Years Ago." QUESTION: "There are so many people who simply don't think they are better off than they were four years ago. How do you convince them that they are?" OBAMA: "Well, I don't think they are better off than they were four years ago." (ABC News, 10/3/11)

Obama Campaign Strategist David Axelrod "Declined To Say Whether Americans Are Better Off." "Earlier, Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod also declined to say whether Americans are better off today than four years ago, saying on 'Fox News Sunday' that Americans are in a 'better position' than they would've been had Republicans been in office." (Dave Levinthal, "Dems Continue To Dodge 4-Years-Ago Question," Politico, 9/2/12)

"The Question Democrats Didn't Want To Answer Head-On Sunday: Are Americans Better Off Today Than They Were Four Years Ago?" "The question Democrats didn't want to answer head-on Sunday: Are Americans better off today than they were four years ago? Asked the same question repeatedly host George Stephanopoulos on ABC's 'This Week,' President Barack Obama's senior White House adviser, David Plouffe, reverted to talking points about job creation and the failings of the Bush administration." (Dave Levinthal, "Dems Continue To Dodge 4-Years-Ago Question," Politico, 9/2/12)

Who's Better Off In The Obama Economy? Not The 23 Million Americans Struggling For Work And The Millions Struggling With Lower Incomes:

More Than Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/26/12)

• Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 316,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above 8% For 42 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/26/12)

"Almost Every Group Is Worse Off Than It Was Three Years Ago, And Some Groups Had Very Large Declines In Income." "'Almost every group is worse off than it was three years ago, and some groups had very large declines in income,' Green, who previously directed work on the Census Bureau's income and poverty statistics program, said in a phone interview today. 'We're in an unprecedented period of economic stagnation.'" (Jeff Kearn, "U.S. Incomes Fell More In Recovery, Sentier Says," Bloomberg, 8/23/12)

Lower-Paying Jobs Account For Nearly 60% Of The Jobs Added Since The Recession Ended In 2009. "Lower-paying jobs, with median hourly wages from $7.69 to $13.83, accounted for just 21% of the job losses during the recession. But they've made up about 58% of the job growth from the end of the recession in late 2009 through early 2012." (Jim Puzzanghera, "Majority Of New Jobs In Recovery Are Low-Paying, Study Finds," Los Angeles Times, 8/31/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, Median Household Income Has Declined By Over $4,000. "In January 2009, the month President Obama entered the Oval Office and shortly before he signed his stimulus spending bill, median household income was $54,983. By June 2012, it had tumbled to $50,964, adjusted for inflation. (See the chart nearby.) That's $4,019 in lost real income, a little less than a month's income every year." (Editorial, "Negative $4,019," The Wall Street Journal, 8/24/12)

"The Middle Class Has Shrunk In Size, Fallen Backward In Income And Wealth..." "Since 2000, the middle class has shrunk in size, fallen backward in income and wealth, and shed some—but by no means all—of its characteristic faith in the future." ("The Lost Decade Of The Middle Class," Pew Research, 8/22/12)

"The Ranks Of America's Poor Are On Track To Climb To Levels Unseen In Nearly Half A Century..." "The ranks of America's poor are on track to climb to levels unseen in nearly half a century, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s amid a weak economy and fraying government safety net." (Hope Yen, "US Poverty On Track To Rise To Highest Since 1960s," The Associated Press, 7/22/12)