Former President Bill Clinton rapped President Obama's "pretty picture" of economic recovery, claiming in a campaign stop for his wife Monday that millions of Americans have been left behind.

He referred to Obama's State of the Union address and his claims of economic prosperity as a "pretty picture" most haven't experienced.



"Millions and millions and millions and millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted and they cannot find themselves in it to save their lives," he said in Raleigh, N.C.

"Hillary is running for president to put every single American in the picture President Obama painted," he added.

Bill Clinton's riff on the lackluster Obama economy started with a compliment. "I think he's done a better job than he's gotten credit for," said Clinton, who left office in 2001.

Then he added:

But, here's the deal.

So why is it such a wacky election? Because, millions and millions and millions and millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted and they cannot find themselves in it to save their lives.

That explains everything. That explains a lot of intensity in our party, and what looks to the outside observer like a grade school playground fight in the other debates, in the other party.

People are upset, frankly, they're anxiety-ridden, they're disoriented, because they don't seem themselves in that picture.

Hillary is running for president to put every single American in the picture President Obama painted.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com