Does President Obama think we are more worried about Sesame Street than Main Street?

Our nation is facing enormous problems that are threatening our future. There are 23 million Americans unemployed.

The national debt has ballooned to $16 trillion, putting us on a path to bankruptcy by 2030, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Obama plan adds $9 trillion in debt over the next 10 years. Not only has Obama failed to balance the budget, he hasn’t even passed a budget.

Looming 2013 tax increases will cost jobs and send us into another recession. Instead of jobs, President Obama is focused on Big Bird.

Romney recently gave examples of what government spending he would cut, including PBS. The Obama campaign thought they had struck gold. The TV ads were produced and campaign speeches were written. “Romney wants to kill Big Bird.”

Perhaps if Obama had been as concerned about embassy security as he is about protecting Big Bird, four American diplomats might be alive today.

Unfortunately, the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, encapsulates the incompetence of this administration.

Security teams were pulled from Libya in August, leaving Ambassador Stevens and others exposed in a region where al Qaeda terrorist cells are harbored. Stevens requested additional security 13 times preceding his assassination.

Security officers have since testified that the Obama administration denied or ignored requests for additional security, while other U.S. embassies received luxuries like Chevy Volts. Additionally, al Qaeda broadcast its intentions on the internet, while U.S. intelligence knew for 48 hours that an attack was being planned. Security was not added, despite it being the anniversary of September 11.

State department officials were immediately aware that the murder of four U.S. diplomats was an act of terrorism. However, for at least two weeks, the Obama administration blamed a YouTube video mocking Islam.

Obama himself claimed that the attack was the result of a protest of an American-made video, despite contradicting reports. This is a cover-up of the highest order.

President Obama is skipping about 60 percent of his daily intel briefings, including the week preceding the attacks.

Obama’s response was to make a statement, take no questions, and jump on a plane for a Las Vegas fundraiser. Clearly, this president takes his current campaign more seriously than his duties as president.

Vice President Biden revealed how “serious” this administration is in his debate with Paul Ryan. Through 40 minutes of Ryan’s speaking time, Biden interrupted 82 times, snickering, rolling his eyes, or otherwise grinning manically.

Ryan discussed the terrorist attack in Libya, protecting Israel from a nuclear Iran, unemployment, and looming debt crisis. Biden laughed, much like Obama staring at his feet indifferently through the first debate.

Serious times require serious leaders. Paul Ryan authored several budgets that would keep Medicare and Social Security solvent, and eliminate our debt.

Mitt Romney built his career on turnarounds. Bain Capital turned failing businesses into profitable ones, and 100,000 jobs were created under his leadership.

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney worked with an 87 percent Democrat legislature to turn a $3 billion deficit into a $2 billion surplus, lower unemployment to 4.7 percent, cut taxes 19 times, and balance the budget all four years.

About 675 economists believe Romney’s plan will create 12 million jobs, get us energy independent by 2020, and balance the budget while keeping entitlements solvent, avoiding a debt crisis a la Greece.

We need a team that understands the problems we face, who are committed to saving America from collapse.

We need leaders with the ideas and the experience to turn this country around and the resolve to keep it strong. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have answered the call. On Nov. 6, so must we.

Garrett Humbertson

Cumberland