August 15, 2012
WASHINGTON: The US presidential election campaign has intensified as incumbent Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney got engaged in sharp exchange of words.
August 15, 2012
WASHINGTON: The US presidential election campaign has intensified as incumbent Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney got engaged in sharp exchange of words.
Mitt Romney leveled his harshest criticism of President Obama's reelection campaign to date in Ohio Tuesday, declaring that Obama should "take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago."
Addressing a crowd of several thousand here in Chillicothe, Romney expanded on the main theme of his campaign since he chose Paul Ryan as his running mate: that the Republican ticket is offering "solutions," while Obama is running a small and brutish reelection bid.
"This is an election in which we should be talking about the path ahead, but you don't hear any answers coming from President Obama's reelection campaign," said Romney, accusing Obama of "taking things to a new low."
Referring to Joe Biden's comment that Romney and Republicans would let big business put Americans "back in chains" Romney said Obama's "campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency. Another outrageous charge just came a few hours ago in Virginia."
"This is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like," Romney said. "He won't win that way."
The denunciation of Obama's campaign was the main thrust of Romney's remarks, but the former Massachusetts governor also spotlighted his new running mate and the "bold" branding of the ticket.
Romney did not make specific reference to Ryan's budget plans or his proposals for overhauling Medicare. Romney delivered the same attack on Obama's health care record that his campaign made in a TV ad today: that the Affordable Care Act routes money away from Medicare.
"Paul and I have a positive agenda that will lead to economic growth," Romney said. "We're offering solutions that are bold, specific and achievable."
"[Obama] is taking your money to finance his risky and unproven takeover of the health care system. He is putting Medicare at greater risk," Romney said. "We will not let Obamacare happen."
There are several potential pitfalls in Romney's message. Like Obama's campaign and its allies, the Romney campaign and a pro-Romney super PAC have aired scorching negative political ads. Ryan's budget also keeps in place the Medicare changes Obama has enacted.
This, however, is the message Romney has committed to for the general election, and in Ohio this evening he delivered it forcefully and drew cheers from the crowd.
"Paul Ryan and I believe in America. We believe in you," he said. "I commit to you that I will be the president that this moment demands."
Courtesy: Politico
