Last September, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said that despite some problems, “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” You remember how Obama responded, right?

Now the Obama campaign has released an ad further pounding home the point. “Fundamentals,” a 30-second spot the campaign will only say is airing in “key states,” opens with yesterday’s grim news and nerve-racking music.
These words appear onscreen: “September 15, 2008: Lehman Brothers Collapses. Markets In Turmoil. Job Losses At 605,000 For The Year. Foreclosures At 9800 A Day. And John McCain Says?”
The spot then cuts to video of McCain speaking yesterday.
“Our economy I think, still, the fundamentals of our economy are strong,” he says.
McCain’s words then appear onscreen, with a question mark signaling incredulity added at the end. McCain is then shown saying the phrase over and over again as the ad asks, “How Can John McCain Fix Our Economy If He Doesn’t Understand It’s Broken?” The spot closes with a shot of McCain with President George W. Bush.

That was back when unemployment was 6.1 percent.

Today, with unemployment at 10.2 percent, President Obama said the U.S. economy has “core strengths.”

What, it’s been doing a lot of sit-ups?