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Is Obama’s economic message getting across to voters?

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    DNC’s Melanie Roussell weighs in on his strategy

  • Duration 8:11
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This transcript is automatically generated

Was this a good week for president Obama's campaign -- the truth.

Well any time the president gets to lay out the distinctions between his vision for moving the country forward and Mitt Romney's vision.

Which will take us back to the failed economic policies in the past I think.

The more.

And -- the American public gets to hear about that the better we are.

Now the president himself acknowledged.

In a roundabout way that he had committed a gaffe recently he said -- contributed in his own right to that unique process of gaffes in Washington DC.

We have some sound to play about that let's listen to that.

The truth of the matter is that.

As I said we've created.

Four point three million jobs over the last 227.

Months.

Over 800000.

Just this year alone.

The private sector's doing fun.

We're we're seeing weaknesses and our economy.

Have to do with state and local government plus.

It is.

Absolutely clear the economy is not doing fine that's the reason I have a press conference.

That's why I spent yesterday today's report if the private -- is doing fine.

Right those were two statements from President Obama on the economy the first clarifying the second clarifying the first we should say and then.

A portion of an ad buy the Mitt Romney campaign seeking to capitalize on these comments milling and -- press secretary of Democratic National Committee.

And was the president off message to begin with.

Well -- and the when he was making is that we've seen growth in the private sector 27 months of growth.

Four point three million jobs and the private sector.

Meanwhile.

State and local governments have been shedding jobs because congress refuses to act on the president's jobs act which would help to.

Provide.

Extra extra help to those states to hold on to retain those -- They ask you about that because I it seems to me as someone who's covered the White House in just a political science student.

That when you have a president of the United States in the position of barnstorming the country and saying the problem is -- congress won't act on my proposals or won't -- I wish them to.

It kind of places the president in the in a position where he seems almost at the mercy of the congress where the mercy of events that's not where he wants to be -- it.

That's not -- is where he -- -- where he has the discretion to take action he certainly has.

Please move forward with several proposals through the we can't wait campaign race he said we can't wait so this is what he'll do.

Under his discretion.

But he does have proposals that are sitting on congress is desk that have been supported on both sides of the aisle.

They are not partisan issues.

Creating jobs growing this economy is not a partisan issue it is something that will help stimulate the economy.

Both sides of the -- acknowledge that and yet the Republicans in the house refused to act on it.

And so I think.

Again.

Everyone understood that he was saying the private the private sector has seen growth the public sector has not we want people act.

Should the public sector -- growth.

There are areas of the public sector like education.

And first responders.

Where I think if you talk to the mayors of some of these cities if you talk to the people who have seen.

Their first responders cut back end.

Crime -- was sparked a crime responses to that they would say yes we do need more police on the beat yes we want more firefighters.

I don't want my child to be in a school in a classroom with 45 other children we need more teachers.

Mitt Romney disagrees he doesn't think we need more teachers firefighters or police officers.

That's what he did in Massachusetts he cut those jobs.

He he cut 141000 teachers that's his vision for America that's not the president's vision.

-- as you suggest everybody understands what the president was trying to say which was as you summarize it that the private sector has seen growth curve what 27 consecutive months -- but -- things are going in the right direction at least for the private sector that's what you're saying the president meant to -- you believe the people generally understand that.

Why then do we see in poll after poll has I think you would agree we do see.

In poll after poll.

A kind of unease about the economic situation the country and the and the trajectory.

Well the president has also said where now where we should we should be we have a long way to go.

We didn't get to the brink of an economic cliff when he walked in the door we didn't get there overnight and we weren't gonna come out of it overnight.

And so that's why he's presented a very detailed plan and proposal to move this country forward and to help the economy continue to -- -- why is.

The race so tight as it is right now for any incumbent president who who is personally well liked by most people.

Well we've always acknowledged this race is going to be tight much tighter one little -- why should it be well if you -- there a number of reasons are a number of factors and I don't I don't.

I don't know that.

It historically speaking the mere fact that he is an incumbent determines.

That the race should not be tight this this we are at -- make or break moment for the middle class in America there are many issues.

That and then he spoke to this yesterday the American people have to make a choice.

Between the vision for this country and we have two very clear visions.

One -- the president has -- presented proposals that will drive the economy invest an energy innovation and infrastructure.

Education.

And tax reform.

And Mitt Romney's proposal which will take us back to those same failed economic policies of the of the past that brought us to that economic -- in the first place.

Talk about the announcement the president in the Rose Garden this morning and in between the eruptions of Neil -- And in which the president essentially announced that deportation will be suspended for.

Certain categories of people who are here illegally mostly young people who were brought here illegally and but who have lived here without incident.

And so on that that's a rough summary of what he said last.

And that it it is obviously not an accident that this is announced during.

When he twelve election season right -- it.

-- the president has said from day one that this was a top priority for him will we've we've taken steps in other areas.

And congress -- fees tacked on immigration reform refused to pass the DREAM Act.

This is an area like I said he's taken action in his discretion where he could this is an area where he's done that.

This is something he -- was able to do within his discretion without congress acting are you maintaining that the president.

Signed off on this.

With not a thought about politics.

I.

Don't work at the White House that -- at the DNC as far as I know this was not -- and not as far as I know this was not a political decision this was a policy decision a clear policy decision issued out of the Department of Homeland Security.

And obviously the president came out to announce it later.

We didn't announce it at the DNC because it's not a political issue.

We we just have about thirty seconds left to talk to -- real quick about.

The Democratic National Committee the Republican national committee's do you feel like.

They have suffered and standing over the years and now they've sort of been supplanted by these outside groups that are much more active on the ad front and so forth.

Well I think on the Republican side you've seen a lot more of those super pacs.

Who are participating in the political process funded by special interests or in the case of Sheldon Adelson one person pushing millions of dollars and like Senator McCain said child could be foreign money on our side we are very much involved with the campaign and continue to be.

Melanie -- press secretary of the Democratic National Committee thank you for joining us we'll be right back war when we come back on the fox hole.

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