president obama's campaign adviser, david axelrod was on nbc's "meet the press" this morning, where he confronted the struggling economy facing the president's re-election. >> we got to office at a time when we were in a deep hole. we knew that these problems were years in the making, they would take a long time to solve and the question is, are we moving in the right direction or flat-lining. >> is there a concern that the recovery is flat-lining. >> we've got to be vigilant about it, which is why we can't congress to act on our small business package. which would help small business. why we want to put teachers back to work and a number of other things. but we have to keep going at it. because, look -- >> it is an issue that has become the primary focus of the campaign as we get closer. and joining me now for strategy talk, former ohio governor, ted strickland, national co-chair of president obama's re-election campaign and michelle bernard, president and ceo of the bernard center for women, politics and