By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

President Barack Obama today inherits a nation with a tanking stock market and growing job losses. The message from millions of hurting Americans to Obama and Congress is simple and direct: "It's the economy, stupid."

Bill Clinton unseated another President Bush in 1992 with that successful refrain. It reminded voters that the incumbent had been unsuccessful in improving the U.S. economy at the time.

But now the nation's finances are worse off than they were in the early 1990s.

So do Obama and Congress get it?

Do they understand that Americans need a well thought-out stimulus package that efficiently uses tax dollars to create jobs?

Do they understand that the kind of shenanigans that Democrats and Republicans like to engage in will not be tolerated at this time?

Will Obama use his tremendous political capital -- with Democrats in Congress and with the American people -- to push through a good stimulus package quickly?

The elected officials need to remember one telling phrase in the days and weeks ahead:

"It's the economy, stupid."