President Obama’s bus tour is highlighted what he’s done to help right the nation’s struggling economy and bolster the middle class, from the auto bailout, to his national health care law. And the president outlined the differences between his vision and that of G-O-P challenger Mitt Romney…starting with debt reduction.

Obama:  “Biggest contributors to our debt and deficit, in addition to the recession, were 2 tax cuts that weren’t paid for, and 2 wars run on a credit card. And Mr. Romney’s plan to deal with this is another $5 trillion dollar in tax cuts that aren’t paid for, or if they are paid for, on the backs of you. That’s not a plan to deal with our deficits. So what I’ve said is that we’re going to get rid of programs that don’t work, we don’t want to waste money.”   

And, the president says he would further reduce the national debt with money saved by ending the war in Iraq and getting out of Afghanistan.

Obama:  “We’re transitioning out of Afghanistan, we’ve taken on Al Qaeda we killed Bin Laden. And I want to take half the money we’re no longer spending on war and use it to drive down the deficit, and use the other half to do some nation building here in Ohio, put people back to work rebuilding roads, bridges and schools, laying broadband lines and high speed rail.”

The auto bailout is popular in Parma

The president was introduced by Wendy Pitts, a 13 year employee at Parma’s General Motors stamping plant, which employees about 1500 people, and was saved through the federal auto bailout.

Pitts:  “And it’s paid off. Plants like mine kept their doors open and I kept my job. Folks that lost their jobs are being rehired. And workers up and down Ohio’s auto chain are back in business.”