(CNN) - In an appearance Sunday alongside President Barack Obama at a fund-raiser for Obama's re-election effort, former President Bill Clinton took a shot at the president’s likely Republican presidential rival, Mitt Romney.
The president has “got an opponent who basically wants to do what they did before – on steroids,” Clinton said, according to pool reports. "Which will get you the same consequences you got before, on steroids."
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The event took place in Virginia at the home of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe.
Chiming in, Obama said in terms of foreign policy he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “have spent the last three and a half years cleaning up after other folks' messes.”
The president also poked fun at Romney, mocking the former Massachusetts governor for referring to Russia as the country’s “number one geopolitical foe.”
“I didn’t know we were back in 1975,” Obama said.
More than 500 supporters were set to attend the reception with the two presidents, and 80 were scheduled to attend a dinner at the house. Tickets for the reception started at $1,000 a person and tickets for the dinner were $20,000 a person.
The event was the first of three joint fund-raisers that Obama and Clinton will headline together.
“You guys get two presidents for one, which is a pretty good deal,” Obama told the small Virginia crowd Sunday, while standing on a stage set up underneath a white tent.
Also in attendance were former Virginia governor and current Senate candidate Tim Kaine, as well as Rep. Jim Moran and state Sen. Barbara Favola.
Joking with the crowd, Obama talked about Air Force One as one of the perks of being president, saying Clinton misses the plane.
"I'll miss it, too," Obama added.
Drawing loud cheers, a woman in the audience quickly shouted, "But not yet!"
A spokeswoman for Romney's campaign reacted to the joint appearance but criticizing Obama's economic record, including the unemployment rate and current national debt.
"President Obama may be able to convince his friends to tout the slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression, but the American people deserve better," Andrea Saul said in an email.
- CNN's Ashley Killough, Kevin Bohn, Steve Brusk, and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report
Also see:
2012 race makes fodder for Obama, Kimmel
Gingrich to quit presidential race Wednesday
Romney to appear with possible VP pick Ayotte in New Hampshire
McCain: Obama campaign video invoking bin Laden is 'pathetic'
From CNN Politics
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A communist and a liar in the same room!
President Obama and President Clinton are both to the far left, their policies include taking my tax dollars for social programs that do not work, school systems that keep failing, programs that support taxes paying for abortions, bigger and bigger government watching and intruding into our lives. And the rest of the left, like Pelosi and Reid who just want to hold on to power for their own personal reasons, and have the nerve to call it public service. Blame Frank and Dodd for the housing collaspe. The Democrats use to stand for the working people, not anymore.
What a team. President Clinton is right, Romney would drive us to a new disaster only faster.
Obama/Biden 2012
H. Clinton/Warren 2016
@ Diane. Ya, cause the republicans are such honest people. LMAO!
If anyone thinks that the republican party stands for workers, seniors, veterans, college students, and the majority of Americans, they have been asleep for 30 years.
So Republicans think Obama is boasting about killing bin Laden i order to get votes? Now Romney is pulling another one of his filthy tricks in order to get elected. HE IS CONSIDERING A MAN WITH A HISPANIC/LATINO SURNAME AS A RUNNING MATE, VP, IN ORDER TO GET THEIR VOTE.!! WHAT A FAKE!!!!
Diane
A communist and a liar in the same room!
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Let me guess, Diane. In the 6th grade you were voted Most Original? Keep wearing that badge with pride, honey. It's totally you.
God Bless President Obama, you have done a great job getting us out of the BIGGEST MESS that those Republicans leaves this country, and we are not stupid to elect those MORONS again. So America wake up and remember what the Republicans did to our great country and the poor people who is struggling to make ends meet. So President Obama you have been working every day of us the poor to have get our America working again thank you President Obama.
No one knows what Mitt Romney is, left, right, moderate? Do we need to vote for such an Etch-a-sketch guy?
Why would you want to VOTE for Romney when even his own party will be holding their noses when they go to VOTE.
They are getting pretty cozy together. Guess this means that Hibarill will be running in 2016.
I'm afraid in this contest between the hoorman and the Morman, I'd have to agree with Bill.
This is how you tell that Progressive Democrats are control freaks. Ole Billy has been out of office for 12 years and he still can't pull himself away. Wake up America. Progressive Dems want to control your life. They stand for more regulation, more taxation, and less freedom. All while they cry f"airness"
@Diane: Obama is a communist? What color is the sky in your world?
former democrat
One who orchestrated the housing collapse and the other who ran the economy to the ground. Can't find better two jokers than these 2.
Excuuuuse me, it was the GOP that destroyed this country! I am sick and tired of people like you that keep spewing this kind of misinformation. Haven't we, as Americans suffered enough due to their policies? We are paying the price now, don't you get it?
I wish the GOP would stop blocking investment to infrastructure and education. Why do they want to keep us dumb, why?? I wish the GOP would just go away. Their behavior borders treason.
Bill Clinton is a smart man and it's a shame he can't be President again! Please explain to Mr. Obama what he's doing wrong!
Who still listens to Clinton? He is a liar, he should be on trial for lying to Congress instead of Roger Clements.
Bill just wants to hang out with the Secret Service detail.
"President Obama may be able to convince his friends to tout the slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression, but the American people deserve better," Andrea Saul said in an email.
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Republicans continue to deny the scope of the economic damage that the collapse caused. All of the recessions over the past 30 years have primarily hit one major segment of the economy; auto manufacturers, housing, airlines, Wall Street, etc. Because the economic strife was isolated primarily to one segment, the other segments were able to withstand the recession, and in fact play a contributing role in overall economic recovery. The Great Bush Recession hit *all* of the major segments of the economy with equal impunity.
We don't have anything to lead the economy out of the recession. The private sector isn't hiring. The private sector isn't buying. The private sector isn't lending.
I like President Obama a whole lot, but I have to admit Mitt Rumney has more economic clout and if elected President, Mitt Romney is sured to provide every American with one nanny and a butler! Haha! Obama/Biden 2012!
@Dean – I like Bill, but your comment did make me laugh out loud!
My thoughts are – that if the republicans get control again, there will be no middle class. It is going to be hard for me to vote in the next election
The Great Bush tax cuts allowed the "Job Creators" to profitably move large chunks of American industry overseas. I don't know how we will recover, if the trade deficit keeps shifting because we have nothing viable to trade.
It's known as the Horney and Hopey tour.
@ Romney spokesman – but it is a recovery. Maybe slow but recovering from the mess inherited.