Unemployment Is Growing & Incomes Are Shrinking But President Obama Says His 'Biggest Failure' Is Not Making An Effort On Immigration

Obama To Univision: 'My Biggest Failure… Immigration'

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "My biggest failure so far is … immigration." UNIVISION QUESTION: "What is your biggest failure?" OBAMA: "Well, Jorge as you remind me, my biggest failure so far is we haven't gotten comprehensive immigration reform done, so we're going to be continuing to work on that. But it's not for lack of trying or desire." (President Barack Obama, Univision Town Hall, Miami, FL, 9/20/12)

Labor Dept.: 'Unemployment Rates Rose' In 26 States

"Unemployment rates rose in more than half of U.S. states last month, the latest evidence that hiring remains tepid across the country. The Labor Department says rates increased in 26 states… and were unchanged in the other 12." ("Unemployment Rates Rise In Half Of Us States," AP, 9/21/12)

Census Data: 'Household Income Decreased'

"The income of the typical U.S. family fell or was flat in almost every state last year, with the drop particularly steep in places where the economy has been hit hard by the housing bust." ("Incomes Fell Or Stagnated In Most States Last Year," Wall Street Journal, 9/20/12)

"Real median household income decreased between the 2010 and 2011 ACS in 18 states. These decreases range from 1.1 percent (Ohio) to 6.0 percent (Nevada)." ("Household Income For States: 2010 And 2011," U.S. Census, P.1, 9/12)

• "The sharpest drop occurred in Nevada, where median income fell by 6%. The median fell by 3.8% in California and by 2.9% in Arizona and Florida." ("Incomes Fell Or Stagnated In Most States Last Year," Wall Street Journal, 9/20/12)

'Number Of Poor … At Record Highs,' $5.39 Trillion Added To Debt

New York Times: "Obama administration officials said on Wednesday that the fact that the poverty rate stayed flat was an achievement in tough economic times." ("Poverty Leveled Off Last Year, Even As Incomes Dropped," The New York Times, 9/12/12)

• AP: "The Census Bureau reports the number of Americans in poverty stood at 15 percent in 2011. About 46.2 million people, or nearly 1 in 6, were in poverty. … In all, the number of poor remained at record highs." ("US Poverty Rate Unchanged; Record Numbers Persist," AP, 9/12/12)

• The Hill: "The number of people in the United States living in poverty remains at its highest level since 1993… The poverty rate effectively leveled off in 2011 following three straight years of increases, the bureau said." ("Census: Poverty Rate Remains Stuck At Its Highest Level Since 1993," The Hill's 'On The Money' Blog, 9/12/12)

The U.S. federal debt is over $16 trillion. ("The Debt To The Penny And Who Holds It," U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 9/6/11)

• $5.39 trillion added to debt since January '09. ("The Debt To The Penny And Who Holds It," U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 9/6/11)