SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - In Maine for a pair of fundraisers, President Barack Obama is telling supporters that the country's economy has improved under his leadership.

Nearly 2,000 supporters greeted Obama at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland before a second event at the Portland Museum of Art. He says his administration has helped to foster job creation, financed research and improved health care, in contrast to the GOP's "you're-own-your-own economics."

While Obama's here, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud of Maine is presenting him a gift.

Michaud picked up some made-in-Maine New Balance sneakers to underscore his effort to get the military to buy U.S.-made sneakers for military personnel. Michaud says getting the Defense Department to buy Maine-made sneakers is consistent with the president's efforts to boost domestic manufacturing.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)