into the mess. what was the debt when he took office? i don t remember precisely the president said. did the media pick up on this? no, zero mention. here is what is getting attention, president obama moving to solid leads in swing states, virginia and wisconsin. we ll have the rasmussen poll of like lay voters minutes from now. how is america doing against the competition, slipping, down to 18th place on the international charts behind the welfare state, finland and denmark in growth and income. oh, and varney & company is about to begin. good morning, varney & company viewers, today is wednesday, september 19th. here is big story. the mainstream media is focusing on president obama s response to mitt romney s comments about dependent americans, but on this show we focus on what we call the real story. here is the president s take on the national debt from last night s interview with david letterman. we don t have to worry about it short-term, right now interest rat