Obama Opens Election Year With Focus in Ohio on Economic Growth

President Barack Obama’s first trip of the election year puts him at a crucial juncture for his chances to win a second term: talking about the economy in Ohio, a key swing state that was battered by the recession.

As Republicans running for the chance to challenge Obama in November move today from Iowa to New Hampshire, the president will kick off his 2012 re-election bid at a high school in Shaker Heights, just outside Cleveland, repeating themes he has laid out over the past two months, including his struggles with congressional Republicans who have blocked his agenda.