ORLANDO - President Obama is on a tear over taxes, blasting rival Mitt Romney's proposals today as nothing more than "fairy dust" to try to fix the economy.

"They have tried to sell us this trickle down, tax cut 'fairy dust' before. And guess what? It didn't work then, it will not work now," Obama said of Romney's plan to slash rates for corporations and upper-income earners.

"It's not a plan to create jobs, it's not a plan to reduce the deficit. It is not a plan to build the middle class. It is not a plan to move the economy forward," he said.

Romney has argued that extending the current Bush-era tax rates and cutting rates further for the wealthy will spur hiring by small businesses.

"Under President Obama, middle-class Americans have experienced higher unemployment, lower incomes, and greater uncertainty about the future," said Romney spokesman Ryan Williams.

"Now he is promising to raise taxes on millions of families and small businesses - which is the last thing we should do in a struggling economy," he said.

The crowd of 2500 here predictably wasn't having any of Romney's ideas, booing at the mere mention of his name.

They were equally as vocal in praising the president, affectionately heckling him during his speech and singing him a boisterous rendition of "Happy Birthday."

Obama turns 51 on Saturday.

"If I had known you guys were going to sing, we would have had a cake. And then I would have blown out the candle, I would have made a wish that probably would have had to do with electoral votes," he said with a grin. "A win in Florida wouldn't be a bad birthday present."