Romney links Obama policies to Carter

At a small business in a northern Virginia suburb, Mitt Romney compared President Barack Obama's economic policies Wednesday to one-term Democratic President Jimmy Carter.

"Who would have guessed we would look back at the Carter years as the good old days," Romney said, after calling the Obama administration "the most anti-small business administration I've seen probably since Carter."

It was the second time this week that Romney has invoked Carter in criticizing Obama. On Monday he was asked whether he would have issued the same order as the president for the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Romney said "even Jimmy Carter would" have made that decision.

In Wednesday's remarks, Romney, a longtime businessman and former Massachusetts governor, suggested Obama's failed policies were a result of his lack of business experience.

"What the president has done -- and I think unknowingly never having spent any time in the private sector himself is -- what the president did was -- one item after another, make it harder and harder for small business to thrive and to grow and start up."

As Obama returned from a surprise trip to Afghanistan, Romney has used his appearances to focus on the state of the economy.

"Americans are tired of being tired of this economy and of this president and they want real change," said Romney.

Ann Romney introduced her husband at the event, which was held at a woman-owned business and geared toward women and the economy. In the midst of female entrepreneurs and businesswomen she said, "women actually do make the world go round."

Surrounded by materials in a warehouse for the company, Exhibit Edge, Romney told the audience people often ask the two-time presidential candidate what he would do to improve the economy.

"Look at what the president's done and do the opposite," he said.