Obama Gives Himself "Incomplete" Grade On The Economy 
 
 In an interview tonight with KKTV in Colorado Springs President Obama gave himself an incomplete grade on the economy. Obama gave the same grade to CBS in August 2010 and CBS in October of 2011. ||||| It's President Obama's second trip to Colorado within a week and I had a chance to ask him a few questions before he took the stage at CU-Boulder. 
 
 Dianne Derby: Mr. President, the latest numbers show the unemployment rate in Colorado has increased over the last four months. Why should voters believe that will go down if you are re-elected? 
 
 President Obama: Obviously we are still going through one of the toughest times that we've had in my lifetime and because of the financial crisis we lost 9 million jobs. We've recovered 4.5 million jobs since that time and half a million manufacturing jobs and here in Colorado you've seen sort of progress in areas like wind energy, for example, and clean energy where because of the investments we've made you're starting to see companies people being hired. 
 
 Dianne Derby: Your party says you inherited a bad situation. You've had three and a half years to fix it. What grade would you give yourself so far for doing that? 
 
 President Obama: You know I would say incomplete...but what I would say is the steps that we have taken in saving the auto industry, in making sure that college is more affordable and investing in clean energy and science and technology and research, those are all the things that we are going to need to grow over the long term. 
 
 And I even had a chance to have a little fun with President Obama as we ended the interview. 
 
 Dianne Derby: Thank you, Sir. 
 
 President Obama: Thank you, enjoyed it. 
 
 Dianne Derby: Tim Tebow or Peyton Manning? 
 
 President Obama: Oh I'm not going to get into that. 
 
 We reached out to the Romney campaign. Tonight, they're in Charlotte, North Carolina to have a presence during the Democratic National Convention. I asked Governor Romney's senior campaign advisor, Matt McDonald, what his reaction is to President's Obama giving himself a grade of 'incomplete.' 
 
 Matt McDonald: I think that for President Obama the question isn't a grade on an A to F scale but it's a pass/fail grade at this point. The question that is on the lips of the people here in Charlotte who are gathering, both the media and the delegates, the people in Colorado and the people across the country is are you better off than you were four years ago and it's a pretty simple answer for alot of people is that they aren't. 
 
 Dianne Derby: What specifically will Governor Romney do to make us better off in four years from now? 
 
 Matt McDonald: Part of what we saw at the convention in Tampa is Governor Romney connect with the American people and speak from the heart and talk about who he is and what his values are and where he wants to lead this country. But the other thing is he put forth his plan for how we get the economy moving. That includes an increased focus on education reform, that includes an increase in energy production with the goal of making North America energy independent by 2020, it includes a simplification of taxes and regulation to help support small businesses, fair trade. 
 
 11 News has put in another request asking for a one-on-one interview with Mitt Romney. We will let you know what happens. ||||| CHARLOTTE, N.C. - President Obama said Monday that he is not ready to give himself a grade on fixing the economy three and a half years into his presidency. 
 
 "You know, I would say incomplete," he told CBS affiliate KKTV in Colorado Springs Monday. He added: "But what I would say is the steps that we've taken in saving the auto industry, in making sure that college is more affordable and investing in clean energy and science and technology and research, those are all the things that we're going to need to grow over the long term." 
 
 
 
 It was not the first time the president has offered an incomplete: He offered up the very same word in May, adding, "We've still got work to do." But Republicans pounced on the comment in an effort to undermine Democrats' messaging at this week's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The Republican National Committee and Romney campaign emailed reporters noting that Mr. Obama said in 2009 that "I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition." 
 
 
 
 And appearing on "CBS This Morning" Tuesday, Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan said in regard to the comment, "Four years into a presidency and an incomplete?" 
 
 Ryan complained that "[t]he president is asking people just to be patient with him" before attacking Mr. Obama for "picking winners and losers in the economy" and borrowing and spending money. 
 
 "That doesn't work," he told CBS News' Charlie Rose. "So, I think the incomplete speaks for itself, and that is why I think we are going to win this and get this country on the right track because we're offering solutions." 
 
 Added Romney Campaign Spokesperson Amanda Henneberg: "If President Obama can't even give himself a passing grade, why would the American people give him another four years?" 
 
 
 
 Watch the KKTV interview below: 
 
 
 

– President Obama gave himself a grade on fixing the economy—"incomplete"—and Republicans are pouncing on it. Obama offered the grade in an interview with KKTV yesterday, quickly adding that "the steps that we have taken in saving the auto industry, in making sure that college is more affordable, and investing in clean energy and science and technology and research" will all help in the long term. BuzzFeed notes that he gave himself the same grade in 2010 and 2011. Reactions: "Four years into a presidency and an incomplete?" said Paul Ryan on CBS this morning. "I think the incomplete speaks for itself, and that is why I think we are going to win this and get this country on the right track because we're offering solutions." The RNC and Mitt Romney's campaign also reminded reporters that, in 2009, Obama said if he didn't "have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition." On Hot Air, an incensed Ed Morrissey writes, "Incomplete? Maybe Professor Obama doesn’t realize this, but report cards come out pretty soon. We’re not going to let him stay after school for extra credit at this point. Obama already flunked his midterms, so unless he’s got a better argument than a demand for an extension, he’s likely to get expelled for academic inadequacy."