Washington ( CNN ) -- The White House rejected criticism Sunday that President Obama has not delivered on his promise of `` change '' during his first year in office . White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said the president has brought about `` enormous change . '' `` I think what we 've seen is a dramatic difference in terms of how the United States is perceived around the world , '' Jarrett told NBC 's `` Meet the Press , '' on the final Sunday before the president 's State of the Union address . Obama 's travels have established relationships with world leaders that `` lay a foundation for keeping America safe and making us a partner around the world , '' she added . Jarrett also credited the president with having `` pulled back the economy from the brink of disaster . '' `` That 's an enormous amount of change when you consider where we were a year ago right on the brink , '' she said . `` And he 's adding discipline in government to try to get control over our fiscal house . So I think that we 've seen enormous change . '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , on the same program , countered that `` if you look at the first year of this administration , we have n't made much progress . '' He complained about the deficit in the president 's budget and the health care reform package that Republicans oppose . But McConnell , R-Kentucky , was also on the defensive about the GOP , which critics have been calling `` the party of no . '' Asked to characterize the performance of his own party this year , McConnell said , `` What we did is try to operate on principle . The president decided to go hard left . That 's why he does n't have many of my members [ supporting his agenda ] . If he chooses to govern in the middle , he will have broader support . '' Jarrett insisted the president never wavered from his promised bipartisan approach . Discussing his health care initiative , Jarrett said Obama `` has sat down with the leadership and members of the Republican Party , both the House and the Senate . In fact , bills in both the House and the Senate contain provisions that were suggested by the Republican Party -- so nothing 's changed about the president 's approach . ''
Valerie Jarrett : Obama has made ` ` dramatic change '' in U.S. image around the world . White House senior adviser also credits Obama with pulling back economy from recession . Republican President Barack Obama went ` ` hard left '' and lost bipartisan support . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticizes deficit , health care reform .