Economy adds to Obama election gloom
A series of gloomy US economic reports released today, just days before congressional elections, are expected to contribute to big losses by President Barack Obama's Democrats.
Voters unhappy with the country's slow recovery from the recession are likely to punish the party, costing them control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. All 435 House seats and 37 of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs on Tuesday.
The Commerce Department today said that the economy expanded at a 2% annual rate in the July-September quarter. That marked an improvement from the feeble 1.7% growth in the April-June quarter, but still not enough to make a noticeable dent in high unemployment. Nearly 15 million Americans are out of work.
Mr Obama has been campaigning heavily for Democrats to avoid a Republican-controlled Congress that could bring his agenda to a near standstill halfway through his term.
Today he spoke about the economy during an event in Maryland, before moving on to nearby Virginia for a campaign rally.
Former President Bill Clinton also has been jumping back into the political spotlight to bolster his party, hoping to remind voters of better economic times during his eight years in the White House.
