Does Gabby Giffords Think Obama is “Out of Touch” on Economic Crisis?

Dems Repeatedly Slammed “Fundamentally Strong” Comments – Do They Hold Obama to Same Standard?

Washington- Last fall, Democrats across the board repeatedly attacked the notion that the U.S. economy is “fundamentally strong.” But on Friday, President Obama made comments nearly identical to those made by Senator John McCain last fall, saying that the major aspects of the U.S. economy are “fundamentally sound.”

It now begs the questions of Rep. Gabby Giffords: Did Democrats take cheap shots simply to score political points or is Obama just as wrong now as Democrats claimed McCain was last fall?

“Are the fundamentals of our economy strong or is the President of the United States just fundamentally wrong? That is the question Gabby Giffords needs to answer,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain.

“Does Giffords stand by her Democrat colleagues who claimed that it was ‘absurd’ to say the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are sound or will she stand up to President Obama and tell him
that he is sadly mistaken when it comes to the economic problems middle-class Americans are facing?”

MSNBC’s David Gregory hosted Obama’s top economic advisor, Dr. Christina Romer, on Meet the Press yesterday to discuss Obama’s comments as they compare to what McCain said just a few short months ago:

MR. GREGORY: So back then during the campaign when Senator McCain talked about the strong fundamentals of the economy, it was then-candidate Obama and his team that roundly criticized McCain, saying he was out of touch, he didn't get it, he didn't understand how bad the economy was. And yet now the president's talking about the strong fundamentals of the economy. So what's different between then, the campaign, and now, except for the fact that the economy's gotten dramatically worse?...

MR. GREGORY: Are the fundamentals of this economy sound?

DR. ROMER: Well, of course the fundamentals are sound in the sense that the American workers are sound, we have a good capital stock, we have good technology.” (“Meet the Press,”MSNBC,3/15/09,

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29705720/)

Last fall, Democrats repeatedly criticized the notion that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are strong:

Obama’s Press Secretary Bill Burton:

"He underscored the fact that he doesn't have a clear grasp
of the crisis that is the American people are facing right now in the middle class. People are worried about losing their jobs, they're worried about losing their homes, and they don't need a pat on the head from John McCain that the American workers are the greatest in the world.”

("Fox & Friends," FNC, 9/16/08)

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (D): "It is absurd to say that the fundamentals of this economy are sound, especially from someone that has been to Michigan so much. ... I can't believe he would repeat that to the nation." (Reilly, "The Crypt," Politico.com, 9/15)

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): "He's not talking to average folks. He doesn't understand how average folks live in this economy. And for today, to say that the fundamentals are strong when people far more knowledgeable than him or me are really truly worried about the economy just shows how out of touch he is." ("Hardball," MSNBC, 9/15/08)

Washington Examiner's Bill Sammon: "On a day when the DOW drops 500 points, it's probably not smart to get caught saying the economy is fundamentally sound." ("Special Report," FNC, 9/15/08)

So, which is it Gabby Giffords: Is President Obama “out of touch” with “how average folks live in this economy” or did your fellow Democrats take cheap shots last fall simply to score political points?