He said that national debt was lower just before the "crisis".
Annual interest rates were high even before the crisis - about 35 to 40 percent.
Before the crisis, the unemployment rate was just under 12 percent.
But even before the current crisis, though, Iraq was moving at odds to our interests of many around the world.
That leaves it at almost double its price of $650 before the crisis in 2007.
The value of property is higher than it was before the crisis.
They were certainly in need of rescue, long before the economic crisis.
The main work on the strategy was carried out before the economic crisis.
The unpopular war in Iraq was a key issue during the campaign before the economic crisis.
"In my estimate of the lead time you would have before the crisis."