Here’s his statement (via):

“This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess,” Obama told reporters in Clearwater, Fla.

…

“In my mind, it’s more important than ever that we present ourselves to the American people and describe where we want to take the country and where we want to take the economy,” he said.

…

As for the debate, he said, “It’s going to be part of the president’s job to be able to deal with more than one thing at once.”

What do you think of his response?

AP Photo/Chris Carlson