Romney Campaign Press Release - "The Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had"

Middle-Class Americans Are Hurting In The Obama Economy, Which Has Given Us "The Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had":

CBS News: We Are Experiencing "The Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had." CBS' SCOTT PELLEY "Good evening. This is the worst economic recovery America has ever had. We'd been looking for hopeful signs, but today the chairman of the Federal Reserve threw a cold splash of reality on those hopes." ("CBS Evening News," 7/17/12)

Gallup: "U.S. Economic Confidence Falls To Lowest Since January" (Lydia Saad, "U.S. Economic Confidence Falls To Lowest Since January," Gallup, 7/17/12)

Economic Confidence "Now Stands At The Lowest Weekly Average Since Late January." "Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index averaged -27 for the week ending July 15, down four points from -23 each of the prior two weeks. This extends a gradual decline in confidence that has been underway since late May, when the index was at a four-year best of -16. The index was nearly this low a month ago -- at -26 in mid-June -- and now stands at the lowest weekly average since late January of this year." (Lydia Saad, "U.S. Economic Confidence Falls To Lowest Since January," Gallup, 7/17/12)

"Bill Gross, Who Runs The World's Largest Mutual Fund At Pacific Investment Management Co., Said The U.S. Is Approaching A Recession..."(Shamim Adam and Masaki Kondo, "Pimco's Gross Says U.S. Is Nearing Recession,"Bloomberg, 7/17/12)

• Gross, On The Nation's Economy: "Approaching Recession When Measured By Employment, Retail Sales, Investment, And Corporate Profits." "The U.S. is 'approaching recession when measured by employment, retail sales, investment, and corporate profits,' Gross, who manages the $263 billion Pimco's Total Return Fund (PTTRX) (PTTRX), wrote on Twitter yesterday." (Shamim Adam and Masaki Kondo, "Pimco's Gross Says U.S. Is Nearing Recession,"Bloomberg, 7/17/12)

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke "Painted A Worrisome Picture Of An Economy Losing Momentum On A Wide Scale." "Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke gave no indication Tuesday that the central bank was about to launch new economic stimulus, even as the Fed chief painted a worrisome picture of an economy losing momentum on a wide scale. Bernanke, presenting his semiannual report on monetary policy and the economy to Congress, said in his prepared remarks that job growth, manufacturing, household spending and business investment had all weakened in the second quarter." (Don Lee, "Bernanke Says Economy Losing Momentum, Gives No Hint Of More Stimulus," CNN, 7/17/12)

U.S. Economy Is At A "Stall Speed" — "Almost Exactly Where We Were Last Year." "At these anemic rates, the economy is at the loosely defined 'stall speed,' which anything around or under roughly 1.5% (different economists define it differently). Depressingly, this is almost exactly where we were last year." (Min Zeng and Paul Vigna, "Economy Hitting 'Stall Speed,' Again," The Wall Street Journal, 7/16/12)

"The Outlook For The U.S. Economy Appeared Dimmer Monday After A Report That Americans Spent Less At Retail Businesses For A Third Straight Month In June." (Martin Crutsinger, "US Economy Appears Weaker As Retail Sales Slump," The Associated Press, 7/16/12)

Stephen Stanley, Chief Economist At Pierpont Securities: "The Economy Has Downshifted From Muddling to Near-Stagnation." "Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities, now sees 0.6% growth rather than 1% previously predicted. 'As you can see, I am running out of room with regard to being above zero.' 'The economy has downshifted from muddling to near-stagnation,' says Stanley. Signs of the economy losing steam raised more pressure on the Fed to add stimulus and investors will zero in on Bernanke's testimony Tuesday before lawmakers." (Min Zeng and Paul Vigna, "Economy Hitting 'Stall Speed,' Again," The Wall Street Journal, 7/16/12)

Still, In This Abysmal Economy, President Obama's Campaign Donors And Supporters HaveBeen Doing Fine:

"Nearly 200 Of [President Obama's] Biggest Donors Have Landed Plum Government Jobs And Advisory Posts, Won Federal Contracts Worth Millions Of Dollars For Their Business Interests..." "More than two years after President Obama took office vowing to banish 'special interests' from his administration, nearly 200 of his biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests or attended numerous elite White House meetings and social events, an investigation by iWatch News has found." (Fred Schulte, et al, "Obama Rewards Big Bundlers With Jobs, Commissions, Stimulus Money, Government Contracts, And More," iWatch News, 6/15/11)

Top Obama Fundraisers Worked In His Department Of Energy "As It Showered Billions In Taxpayer-Backed Stimulus Money On Alternative Energy Firms." "Several of Barack Obama's top campaign supporters went from soliciting political contributions to working from within the Energy Department as it showered billions in taxpayer-backed stimulus money on alternative energy firms, iWatch News and ABC News have learned." (Ronnie Green and Matthew Mosk, "Bundlers On The Inside," iWatch, 9/29/11)

"Several Political Allies" Of President Obama Had "Ties To Companies Receiving Chunks" Of Taxpayer Money From The Stimulus. "A joint investigation by ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity that will air on World News with Diane Sawyer tonight has found that Westly is just one of several political allies of the president who have ties to companies receiving chunks of that money through loans, grants, or loan guarantees." (Brian Ross and Matthew Mosk, "Did Obama Administration Play Favorites With Energy Loans?," ABC News, 10/30/11)

President Obama Put A Top Fundraiser "In Charge Of Hiring In The Obama White House, Helping Place Loyalists And Fundraisers In Many Key Positions." "After the election, Gips was put in charge of hiring in the Obama White House, helping to place loyalists and fundraisers in many key positions. Then in mid-2009, the new president named him ambassador to South Africa. Level 3 Communications, in which Gips retained stock, meanwhile received millions of dollars of government stimulus contracts for broadband projects in six states—though Gips said he was 'completely unaware' of the stimulus money." (Fred Schulte, et al, "Obama Rewards Big Bundlers With Jobs, Commissions, Stimulus Money, Government Contracts, And More," iWatch News, 6/15/11)