“I believe an entire economy was saved from sliding into a deeper recession or even a

“I believe an entire economy was saved from sliding into a deeper recession or even a depression.”

Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who, along with national United Auto Workers President Bob King, said without the president’s decision to bail out the American auto industry, it likely wouldn’t exist today. On a conference call, Strickland said President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat, “did the right thing” by pushing through an $82 billion government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler in 2009.

“Our goal is an enduring partnership with Afghanistan that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability and prosperity and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating al-Qaida and its extremist affiliates.”

U.S. Embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall, after the U.S. and Afghanistan reached a deal on a long-delayed strategic partnership agreement that ensures Americans will provide military and financial support to the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond 2014.

“This president has a road that he’s traveling down where government gets larger and larger and metastasizes into every area of American life. If I’m president, we’re not going to go down that road anymore.”

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, insisting that Democrat Barack Obama is a “president who is dividing America” as he kicked off a two-day campaign swing that will feature Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American Florida senator considered to be a top potential choice for vice president.