GOP Pounces On Obama's Problems To Find Themes For Republican National Convention

Republicans won't be easing up on Democrats next week when the National Convention rolls around, as some of the social and economic issues they say are facing America under president Obama are being used to generate themes for the event.

Thousands of delegates from across the nation will meet between Aug. 27 and 30 in Tampa, Florida, to nominate presumptive candidate Mitt Romney to challenge President Barack Obama for the White House in November.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced Monday that the theme for the first night will be "We Can Do Better." He said the theme is affirmation that "Republicans reject the notion that America's 'new normal' consists of 42 months of deep unemployment and greater debt."

America's unemployment rate is at a stubborn 8.3 percent as of July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Americans know we can do better than joblessness, poverty and debt," Priebus said in piece written in the Sacramento Bee. "This convention will present our vision for a brighter, better future and it will lay out an optimistic, achievable plan to make it happen."

Convention CEO William Harris said no four words better sum up what he believes is a conclusion shared by millions of Americans who are looking back on the last four years.

"We can do better than this, and the country knows it," Harris said.

Come Tuesday, Republicans will change gears and begin focusing on business owners and job creators.

The theme for that day is "We Built It" - a direct jab at Obama's often misconstrued "You didn't build that" comment made in Roanoke, Virginia, last month. Republicans have criticized Obama for the statement, saying it was disrespectful to business creators.

Others have sided with president, saying his words were misrepresented.

Obama told the Virginia crowd that "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

In a press release issued to PRNewswire, Priebus said Tuesday's convention theme "will honor the fact that it is the drive, determination and sacrifice of America's job creators and millions of hard-working American men and women who made the United States the exceptional nation it is."

Harris added that on Tuesday, the program is geared toward highlighting the nation's entrepreneurial strength and "people's incomparable work ethic."