President Barack Obama on Saturday emphasized economic growth during his tenure while the Senate's Republican leader depicted events he says seem to be spinning out of the White House's control. Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in their parties' radio and Internet addresses, did find some common ground. They agreed that many Americans' wages are still falling behind. But Obama blamed Congress for not acting on measures such as the minimum wage, and McConnell faulted Obama for policies he said have failed. "We've got to harness this momentum and make the right choices so that everyone who works hard can get ahead," Obama said. He stressed the need for policies that make the economy friendlier to women. "In difficult times, the American people expect real leadership from Washington," the Kentucky senator countered. "What they don't need are more unworkable ideas that often make the problem worse." The sparring heading into Tuesday's voting underscored the prominent role that Obama has taken in the midterm elections even though he is not on the ballot. Republicans have tried to make the election about the president, especially in states with Republican majorities where Obama's unpopularity runs deeper than in the country as a whole. While many Democratic candidates have sought to distance themselves from the president, Obama has been enlisted to mobilize core Democratic voters either through campaign rallies over the last week or less overtly through targeted radio ads, mail and Internet messages. His radio address echoed his Friday speech in Rhode Island, calling on Congress to pass equal pay and family leave legislation. The message was a direct appeal to female voters, whom Democrats need to energize and get to the polls if they want to overcome Republican advantages in several states. McConnell argued that Obama and the Democratic Party have been in power for six years, though he didn't mention that Republicans have controlled the House since 2011. "They got the chance to pass nearly everything their ideology would allow," he said. "But six years on, their policies haven't gotten the country moving again. And it's clear that more of the same isn't going to work."
