(CNN) - Mitt Romney's campaign released a new television ad on Friday in Illinois, hitting rival Rick Santorum ahead of the state's primary next week.
"Who can turn around the economy and defeat Barack Obama? Not Rick Santorum," the ad's narrator says.
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The commercial, "Wrong Choice," goes further, criticizing the former Pennsylvania senator as an "economic lightweight" and citing media reports highly critical of Santorum's plan for the economy.
Romney has repeatedly used the 'lightweight' term to describe Santorum, as well as President Barack Obama, on the campaign trail.
Switching gears, the ad then highlights Romney's plan, quoting an American Enterprise Institute analysis that describes his policies as "the boldest GOP agenda since Reagan."
The narrator continues: "Mitt Romney: ready to lead the nation to a new era."
With 54 delegates at stake in the Illinois primary on Tuesday, the state has already become prime battleground for the candidates.
Team Romney's ad buys in Illinois totaled $939,000 as of Thursday, while the super PAC supporting Romney, Restore Our Future, had purchased $2.5 million in air time.
Meanwhile, the Santorum campaign and its super PAC–Red, White and Blue Fund–had spent more than $430,000 combined on Illinois ads.
A Chicago Tribune/WGN Poll released Saturday showed a tight race in the state, indicating 35% of likely Republican voters backed Romney, while 31% backed Santorum–a margin well within the sampling error.
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That is secondary to his religious beliefs - which he will dictate to all of us.
The POPE is NOT MY GOD.
When will the Republican Party explode into 3 groups; moderates,teapartiers and religious zealots ?
Uh, how is Romney going to fix the economy again? Oh yeah, by going back to W's policies that messed it up to begin with. That'll work. Why don't you tell us how the economy works, Mitt. You keep say you know how but you never explain it – is it a secret?
Romney has spent $45 million of other people's money to attack fellow republicans. He is not much of a business man, but makes up for it as one of the best liars to ever run for president.
Since the economy has been improving, wouldn't turning around the economy mean going back to the 2007 recession?
Time for "Thunder-dome"...Two men enter, One man leaves....
Mittens has been endorsed by and surrounded himself with the Bush morons who drove our country into a near Bush/republican depression, and he thinks the money that the Kochs and Rove give him, should take us back there.
"Since the economy has been improving, wouldn't turning around the economy mean going back to the 2007 recession?"
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I don't really know how to break this to you, but here goes. The economy will be going back into recession. You see, 2/3 of the economy is consumer spending. The majority of that is by the middle class. The middle class has a limited amount of dollars for discretionary spending. And those few precious dollars are being shipped overseas directly through their gas tanks. Blame whomever you want, but those are facts. Without fail, history in the "oil age" will show spikes in energy prices are followed by recession shortly thereafter.
@Luke – Doesn't it seem like there's a heck of a lot of crossover between "teapartiers and religious zealots"?
@Wire – Best liars or BIGGEST LIARS ? I vote for biggest.
@Patriot – Since Romney seems to want to reinstitute Bush's supply side economics then it probably will mean "going back to the 2007 recession"
When will the GOP figure out that the problem with supply side economics is that we have a demand side economy? The economy does well when consumers can spend. "Redistributing" wealth to the wealthiest among us doesn't "trickle down", it reduces the spending power of average Americans and chokes off the economy. Oh, that's right, the purpose of supply side economics isn't about creating a vibrant economy for everyone, the end goal is the upward redistribution. They win before the masses feel the warm trickle – which I can assure you – AIN'T RAIN.
Four years and still massive unemployment with Obama. Almost a TRILLION WASTED to stimulate the wallets of union leaders and their sheep. Obamacare around the corner wating to destroy our healthcare system. To get rid of Obamacare and record unemployment, we must get rid of Obama.
It really is that simple.
Fair – That's the same thing Hanoi Hannity said. Actually, republicans are praying for another depression to get the white house back.
Romney is hitting a chord. Santorum is weak on the economy. Except for when he is trying to criticize Pres. Obama, have you ever heard him talk about it? Santorum is even weaker on foreign policy. Except for when he is talking about Islamists, have you ever heard him talk about it? Yesterday, he thought Puerto Rico was a foreign country. "Oops."
FACT: Nixon, Reagan and both Bushs increased the national debt by a much higher (as much as 300%) percentage than Obama. FACT: the income of the top 2% over the last 30 years, adjusted for inflation, has increased by about 300%; the rest of us by only 10%. FACT: the economy is in much better shape today than it was 3 years ago after W. FACT: If Obama was white, he'd get 70% of the vote.
Gas price hikes may temporarily divert money from consumers, but the GOBP's favorite tax cuts for the filthy rich ALWAYS divert money upwards, from the poor and middle class consumers, to the non-job-creating parasites and vampires lurking in the 1%.
Wire – I really don't care what ANY political pundit says. When it comes to the economy, I'll put my money on what the economists say. And I'm certain there are plenty who see exactly what I've said.
How can right wingnuts be so out of touch with reality? Despite republican efforts, there are 4 million jobs created in the last two years, the auto industry is saved along with over one million auto related jobs, and the wingnuts refuse to acknowledge that $12 trillion of our national debt is due to republican leadership.
Four years of a so-called " job creator" left MA with a higher unemployment rate than when he started. The Olympics? Saved by a government bailout that Santorum voted for, and Romney spent. Frantic, spastic speeches by Romney cannot hide the fact he has never created a job in his life(sorry, Staples is not a career for anyone long-term). The sheep that are blindly following the GOP and its masters in the plutocracy and talk radio are oblivious to the fact they have the thinnest bench and the worst-qualified and weakest front-runner in history.
Sorry but I'm voting for that one!!
Obama 2012
I don't care for any of the republican candidates (especially Willard) but I do like the fact neither Santorum or Gingrich will let Willard walk over them and just take the nomination. Willard has NEVER wanted for anything so much as he does this presidency and finds himself now facing what many of do everyday (critisim even when there is none). He's being questioned, scrutinized and tapped into about his entire life and every statment he makes and guess what... he doesn't like it (just look at his gestures). I say CONTINUE TO SOCK IT TO HIM. Since he wants the job so desperately – beat the hell out of him, slap him around and beat him some more just like all the other past/current presidents and IF he doesn't like it he can drop out and go back to his cult.
Fair – I doubt that the majority of any economists would agree with Hoover economics.
correction: Willard has NEVER wanted for anything so much as he does this presidency and finds himself now facing what many of US go through everyday (criticism even when there is none).
@ Wire Palladin, S. F.
You spoke the REAL truth. Keep telling it.
The republicans are fighting it out in the primaries to see who gets the honor of Losing to President Obama in the 2012 General Election.
Wire Palladin, S. F. - Actually, republicans are praying for another depression to get the white house back.
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With Obama wrecking the economy, NOBODY needs to pray for it, it is almost a sure thing. The divisive socialist's War on Fossil Fuels will be his downfall. The more class warfare rhetoric he invokes, the more people will hold back. Every time he speaks, he's demonizing somebody new. Blaming others for HIS lack of leadership, skill and knowledge.
Obama is this country's worse nightmare.
The Real Tom Paine - Four years of a so-called " job creator" left MA with a higher unemployment rate than when he started
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Governor of Mass from 2003 to 2007.
Unemployment rate in Jan. 2003 was 5.6%
Unemployment rate in Jan. 2007 was 4.6%
All facts easily found on the web. Any more lies you wish to post????