Unemployment, 2002-2012

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

By the end of 2008, at the end of President George Bush's watch, the economic nasty was hitting the fan. On president-elect Barack Obama's radio address of January 10, 2009, he observed, "...given the magnitude of the challenges we face, none of this will come easy. Recovery won't happen overnight, and it's likely that things will get worse before they get better." Fair enough.

But after almost four years in office, unemployment is worse than when President Obama took office.

It's fair to question why the economy tanked on President Bush's watch.

It's also fair to question President Obama's performance in light of today's economy.