(CNN) – President Barack Obama's re-election campaign marked the conclusion of the Republican primary - and the beginning of the general election campaign - with a nearly two-minute Web video splicing together clips of Mitt Romney's most conservative statements from the trail.
The video comes at the unofficial start of the general election campaign, and highlights the effort Obama's team will make to undermine a potential shift to the middle from the likely Republican nominee.
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"Expect us to keep holding Romney accountable for the positions he committed to during the primary. There will be no Etch A Sketch opportunities this year," Obama campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt said.
The video begins with an invitation to reminisce on the past several months: "As Republicans settle on the nominee, let's take a look at some of the unforgettable moments from this unforgettable primary."
What follows is a series of clips, mostly out of context, of Romney proclaiming positions that will make liberals cringe.
"Corporations are people, my friend," Romney says in the first sound bite. He made the statement in Iowa, making the point that corporate success often leads to profits for individuals.
The video continues with Romney asserting, "I like to be able to fire people who provide services to me." That comment was made in New Hampshire, and the candidate was advocating giving Americans the option of getting rid of their health insurance companies if they weren't pleased with their performance.
The Obama campaign video goes on to show Romney's now-famous proclamation at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he was a "severely conservative Republican governor," a statement made to quell fears among the GOP that he was too moderate to appeal to the Republican base.
Team Obama's video moves to a series of Romney clips featuring the candidate's remarks on reproductive rights, an attempt by the president's re-election campaign to capitalize on the growing gender gap, seen in several recent polls, between Romney and the incumbent Democrat.
Romney is shown saying at a debate that he believed the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade, and expressing support for a constitutional amendment that would allow employers to deny health coverage for contraception.
He is shown making the statement, "Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that." Romney, who made that comment in March, explained he was referring to ending federal funding to the women's health provider.
The video has a section devoted to Romney's comments on the economy, using video of him saying "Don't try and stop the foreclosure process, let it run its course and hit the bottom."
Another clip shows Romney doubling down on a newspaper op-ed he wrote in 2008, saying "That's exactly what I said, let Detroit go bankrupt."
The video concludes with the tagline: "Mitt Romney: A severely conservative nominee. Remember that."
Romney's team responded to the video with a slam on Obama's economic record.
“It’s no surprise with the worst job creation record in modern history and a platform of raising taxes that President Obama would try to distract Americans from the real issues," Romney press secretary Andrea Saul said in a statement. "Unemployment is up, incomes are down and gas prices are through the roof. Mitt Romney is running to get Americans back to work and the country back on track.”
– CNN's Jessica Yellin and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Also see:
Romney on Santorum: 'This has been a good day for me'
From CNN Politics
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You gotta be Mitten me. What does that me? Making ridiculously extreme statements and/or ones that contradict previous statements.
"Corporations are people." You gotta be Mitten me.
"I like to fire people. You gotta be Mitten me.
"I am severly conservative." You gotta be Mitten me.
"Get rid of Planned Parenthood." You gotta be Mitten me.
"I support Roe v. Wade." You gotta be Mitten me.
No Willard 2012 ! Is ALL you need to remember. No more silver spoon, draft dodgers. Hasn't America had enough of his type?
It will be interesting to see Mr. Romney attempt to re-enter the land of the sane after trying to out-crazy Santorum. It will be a fine line. If he moves too far to the middle he'll fit his flip-flopper reputation and lose all credibility. He he stays out in the crazy right, no one but the TP will vote for him.
@John
Romney's campaign: Obamas greatest hits:
Good stuff...however, you failed to included to cause of these "greatest hits". When Obama took office, he had to deal with a country that was in it's worst ecomonic shape since the great depression. The stock market was in total free fall. How did it get in this shape? by the same policy that the GOP want to go back to...unfunded tax cuts for the riches 1% of Americans, Bushes unfunded medicare bill, deregulation of bankcand financial institutions, unfunded needless wars...Every economist who looked at the situation in detail said it would take 5 to 10 years to get the economy fixed. We've made some good, but slow progress...so why would anyone want to go back to what created the problems in the first place. Funny, the GOP goes around takling about how they are the party of "personal responsibilty" yet they have never taken responsibility for being the party in charge when our country was attacked on 9/11 and have never taken responsibiltiy for being the party in charge when our economy failed.
Dr Kowitall...like most know it all's you know nothing but merely repeat what you've heard taking it in verbatium with wout either analyezing it or being the least bit critical of it – you are the kind of people Fox News caterr to: NO NOPTHING people.. an empty vessel with a vacum readyu to be filled with what ever they tell you.
DC Johnny wrote on page 3:
This may be the funniest comment I've ever read. If I had a dollar for every time Obama misquoted Reagan or took Reagan's great words out of context, I would have tons of dollars, but sadly they wouldn't be worth nearly as much anymore because of Obama's loose fiscal policy.
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You would be broke because Pres. Obama quotes Reagan accurately. Fox News has been purposely playing the wrong quotes for you, claiming that Pres. Obama is lying or changing the words. Didn't you know that? All of the speeches that Pres. Obama is quoting are available in both audio and text formats from the Reagan Library web site.
The Obama camp didn't "slam" Romney. Romney has "slammed" himself. Mitt has demonstrated that he has no core, no depth.
Bottom line....Are we better off now then we were 4 years ago?
Hell yes we are!
Hasn't it taken longer then we would have like it to take...yes, But there is no magic wand to wave to fix everything. Economist said it would take 5 to 10 years. Thats because of just how bad, the effect of 8 years of Bush and GOP policy's had on our country's economy.
v_mag
So, we now have the official Repugnant nominee for president: George W. Bush
Romney = Bush. Romney is endorsed by the Bush crime family. Romney has not distanced himself from the disasterous policies of GWB who drove this country into debt and recession.
If you want George W. Bush to be your next president, you're in luck. He's on the ballot, under the name of Mitt Romney.
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Bush Derangement Syndrome is soooooooooooooo 2008.
Romney's proven he will take any side of any issue and say anything he thinks his billionaire supporters want to hear. Great video by the Obama campaign proving exactly that.
Now for the next few months, we get to watch Romney turn into an evangelical christian
the GOP/T party just keeps churning out the loonies!
"You would be broke because Pres. Obama quotes Reagan accurately. Fox News has been purposely playing the wrong quotes for you,"
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If I had a dollar for every time Rudy blames Fox News for the indefensible, I'd have tons of dollars. Booga booga booga Fox News.
And Obama, how's that economy looking?
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Its looking a lot better than how Bush and the GOP left it.
Are we better off now than we were 4 years ago?...YES
Come on, you're supposed to be the party of personal responsibilty...so when will you take responsibilty for leaving the country in the worst economic shape since the great depression?
Lets put it like this if you get kivked out of your home do you think Romney will come to the rescue? Or do you think he is going to pay for you going to the emergency room? If Romney wants to save the Govenment money then let the people who the govenment help use Romney monoey to pay for Welfare, Medicaid, Vetrans Benefits, and Unemployment also. Then once he goes broke then he can speak up.
Four and The Door wrote on page 4:
Big companies love Obama's zero interest rates on money as he tries to make the housing market recover. Not helping. And definitely not helping retirees who are stuck in the middle trying to scrape by on 2% interest on their savings.
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Those are the exact policies that Republicans have advocated.
Declaring everthing wrong without offering any alternative solution is not constructive criticism. It known as something else that rhymes with the word pitching.
expect us to hold Obama accountable for his failed record
SlowGun – Bottom line....Are we better off now then we were 4 years ago? Hell yes we are!
============================================================================
Not sure what "we" you are talking about!
Tthe 16 million unemployed and underemployed would beg to differ!!
Obama's policies have kept record numbers of people unemployed for record length of time.
And he's put the country on a path to bankruptcy so you need to broaden your view.
Actually I am way better off than I was in 2007. I have a new job, my retirement savings are back, my taxes went down (probably too much), and I believe the counrty is headed in the right direction. Anyone who thinks the Bush years were better is either completely delusional, or lying to themselves.
I have always supported the person who's most qualified for the job, not the party he/she belongs to! In the last few years I've watched the Republican party become more divisive & obstructionistic & in too many cases, downright hateful! Republican state governments have gutted womens healthcare, fired teachers by the thousands, & are now going after OUR ent.itlement programs, which we are required to pay into! If it wasn't for those safetynets we would be much worse off now, seeing that the repubs refuse to work w/this particular president! If congress had WORKED last year instead of having tantrums & saying NO to any proposal (like a 2yr old), we might be further along in our recovery now! The fact that President Obama has been steadfast, inclusive of ALL Americans, & has managed to get us on our feet, despite repub efforts to discredit him, speaks louder than any snide remark from the right! Obama 2012, for continued recovery & inclusiveness!!
32mMD,
Please try again:
President Obama passed equal pay for women, overseen steady recovery from the Great Recession, START Treaty, repealed DADT, ended Iraq War, gave a courageous order to take out Bin Laden, passed the largest tax cut for 98% of Americans & small businesses, etc...
All the right wing posters are upset simply because they know that Romney's own words are going to sink him and they can't spin them. They are also aware of the successes of the Prez that is why they resort to the attacks, lies, and distortions. The truth is killing them just as it did with Prez Clinton.
@Rudy, NYC
So are corporation made up of jelly beans? Of course they are made up of people. Hillary said "It takes a village to raise a child". Did you take her literally? No, she meant it takes everybody to help raise a child, not just the parents.
Rudy NYC
Four and The Door wrote on page 4:
Big companies love Obama's zero interest rates on money as he tries to make the housing market recover. Not helping. And definitely not helping retirees who are stuck in the middle trying to scrape by on 2% interest on their savings.
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Those are the exact policies that Republicans have advocated.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
But Rudy, don't you read your own hometown paper, the NY Times? This is from their story on February 2, 2012:
The Fed’s chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, was sharply questioned by members of a House committee about the Fed’s announcement last week that it planned to hold short-term interest rates near zero until late 2014, a measure that the Fed described as necessary to support a faster pace of economic recovery.
“I think this policy runs the great risk of fueling asset bubbles, destabilizing prices and eventually eroding the value of the dollar,” said Representative Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who is chairman of the House Budget Committee.
Romney/ Ryan 2012
Go out there and win one for the Flipper!
Not sure what "we" you are talking about!
Tthe 16 million unemployed and underemployed would beg to differ!!
Obama's policies have kept record numbers of people unemployed for record length of time.
And he's put the country on a path to bankruptcy so you need to broaden your view.
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Truth is his policy saved 100s of thousand of jobs that were on there way out due to the shape of the economy that Bush left us in. If we did what the conservatives, the tea party, and what Mitt wanted, the auto industry would have failed and 100s of 1,000s more would have lost their jobs. The stimulas money gave funds to local and state goverment to save police, fire, teachers...jobs. Hell, Rick Perry takes credit for all these jobs he created. The fact his 70% of the jobs created in Taxas under Rick Perry were created with timulas money!
ahswayah said:
"expect us to hold Obama accountable for his failed record"
No problem sweetheart we're expecting all you teahadists to pretend the previous 8 years of Bush (which almost destroyed this country) didn't happen. That's why we voted NO to the republican party and YES to Obama. Just like the country is going to do again.