The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Accusing his rival of a failure of "tragic proportion," Republican Mitt Romney charged yesterday that the nation under President Barack Obama had failed to keep its "moral commitment to help every American help himself."

Casting the need to fix the economy as a moral imperative, but without offering any new proposals, Romney said free enterprise ideas and less government intrusion would help spur a rebound.

"It has become clear that this president simply doesn't understand or appreciate these fundamental truths of our economic system. Over the last 31/2 years, record numbers of Americans have lost their jobs or just disappeared from the workforce or could only find part-time jobs," Romney said. "Record numbers of Americans are living in poverty today -- over 46 million people in this country, living below the poverty line.

"This is not just a failure of policy. It is a moral failure of tragic proportion. Our government has a moral commitment to help every American help himself," the likely Republican presidential nominee said to applause at a Missouri business that builds military tents. "And that commitment has been broken."

Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said Romney delivered a "dishonest" speech that offered no new ideas to help the economy.

"Mitt Romney has promised to use his experience to turn around the economy, but all he has offered to date are negative and dishonest speeches tearing down President Obama," Smith said.

A new TV ad was launched yesterday by the Obama campaign in nine key election-year states, blaming Congress for not acting on his jobs proposals. The approach represents an expanded ad focus for Obama, who had been going after Romney.

The ad does not mention congressional Republicans, but its target is unmistakable. Republicans have proposed their own measures aimed at creating jobs and have blocked several Obama proposals to promote hiring of teachers and police officers and to increase infrastructure projects. Obama has proposed paying for those measures with tax increases on wealthier taxpayers, an idea Republicans reject.

The ad is airing in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

One dead, four injured in LIE crash ... Wildfire risks on LI ... Veterans Day on LI Credit: Newsday

Trump taps Zeldin to run EPA ... One dead, four injured in LIE crash ... Stefanik picked as U.N. ambassador ... New Navy museum opens

One dead, four injured in LIE crash ... Wildfire risks on LI ... Veterans Day on LI Credit: Newsday

Trump taps Zeldin to run EPA ... One dead, four injured in LIE crash ... Stefanik picked as U.N. ambassador ... New Navy museum opens

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