Obama trumpets rebound of US auto industry

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is hailing the rebound of the U.S. auto industry, pointing to progress since his administration rescued General Motors and Chrysler.

Obama says in his weekly radio and Internet address that auto sales are the highest they've been in more than four years and the industry has created nearly a quarter of a million new jobs.

Obama frequently cites GM and Chrysler as a success story for his campaign. Automakers are large employers in Ohio, one of the key battleground states being contested by Obama and Republican Mitt Romney.

Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican running for Congress, says in the GOP address that the Obama administration has pushed regulations that make it difficult for businesses.

He says the economy "doesn't need more meddling — it needs more certainty."