(CNN) – A man who starred in a television ad for Mitt Romney's campaign received government help while building his family's small business, despite implying in the commercial that he did so without assistance, according to a report Monday by the Union Leader in New Hampshire.
Jack Gilchrist of Gilchrist Metal Fabricating said in the ad that he and his father created the company.
But the Union Leader reports that in 1999, Gilchrist Metal received $800,000 in tax-exempt revenue bonds issued by the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority to set up a manufacturing plant and buy new equipment.
In the TV ad released Friday, Gilchrist took issue with a comment President Barack Obama made earlier this month at a campaign stop in Virginia. Making the case that businesses succeed with collective help, Obama said, "If you've got a business, you didn't build that."
"If you are successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet," he said.
However, Romney's campaign and national Republicans seized on Obama's "build that" comment, arguing it represents a philosophy of big government in the Oval Office.
Gilchrist, in the commercial, said it was his family who deserves credit for the developing the business.
"My father's hands didn't build this company? My hands didn't build this company? Through hard work and a little bit of luck, we built this business. Why are you demonizing us for it? It's time we had somebody who believes in us, someone who believes that achievement should be rewarded, not punished," he said.
Gilchrist told the Union Leader that his argument is not "compromised" by the fact that he received the bonds and added that his legal fees for the bonds amounted to $12,000.
"It was a loser and I wish I had never done it," he told the paper. "I bought some equipment with it."
In addition, he said that his company received a U.S. Small Business Administration loan totaling "somewhere south of" $500,000 in the late 1980s, according to the Union Leader.
Responding to story, Romney campaign spokesman Ryan Williams stood by the ad and pointed back to the president's comment.
"President Obama has demonstrated that he doesn't understand how the economy works and that he doesn't believe in our free market system," said Williams. "The President has denigrated business owners by telling them that they 'didn't build' their own successful companies, arrogantly dismissed the challenges facing our economy by saying the private sector is 'doing fine,' and promoted disastrous policies that have killed jobs."
From CNN Politics
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Robme lies again.with the heip of another lier. Liers liers pants on fire. With his lies this man would start world war 111.
Amazing that this lie is getting any traction. Romney will say anything.
typical republican brainwash,intelligent people knows better.
but you knew that, already .
Anyone with a mind can understand the statement that President Obama is saying. Taken literally, the President is 100% correct. None of us exist in a vacuum. M.r Gilchrist is a prime example of this. In fat, there is NO successful person who falls outside of President Obama's observation, that their success is theirs alone, despite everything else. Mr. Romney's ads only expose that there are many SELFISH people, who want to pretend that we, as Americans, do not impact each other's lives. No, Mr. Gilchrist you didn't build this alone – that's what the President is stating. You now look like a selfish liar – a perfect surrogate for Mitt Romney.
Typical GOPer, accepting welfare from the Government, then denying and belittling it. Sickening. Gilchrist needs to pay the money back.
By the way, those Port-a-Potties in the background are highly symbolic. Just in case you were wondering what you were being handed with this self-made man, up by his bootstraps (with the help of his dad and his employees and about $1 million in Government loans...) horse hockey.
Of course Gilchrist regrets it now. He got caught in a lie! He's business received a substantial amount of government assistance, and now he wants to pretend that it didn't. You cannot have it both ways...
So he recieved somewhere south of $1.3 million in federal and state government assistance and spent $12K for a lawyer. But he had no assistance? Is this Romney's Joe the Plumber that we can't get rid of?
Mitt has to learn how t do his homework BEFORE he speaks. Mr flipflop Romney gets called out on every issue he tries to follow.
Unless you're God, you had help. As the President pointed out-it may have only been from a teacher.
But this hypocrit is typical of conservatives that can't think past their last sentence. He forgot the loan? the bond?
Any idiot knows most businesses start up with Federal money, whether it's a bank loan, etc. But Romney wouldn't know that because he made his money from the proceeds of shipping companies abroad or just milking them until they went bankrupt. It has always been the practice when starting a business to NEVER USE YOUR OWN MONEY and this man didn't.
This business owner who starred in this campaign ad has no leg to stannd on in that he's found to take government help for his companny not once but twice. Team Romney should have search his background before featuring him. Mr Murdock was right when he Romney needs to bring in the professionals or maybe they couldn't find a business owner who haven't taken a small business loan or a tax credit or one of the other tax advantages that businesses get. Maybe Obama should'nt have said it the way to he did but it appears that he was right. The truth is the goverment did build all the infrastructure that made it all possible for business and industry to flourish in this great land.
Let the truth shine and restore sight to the selective blind! What an idiot that Romney is. I'm still laughing at the wasted millions spent on the "You Didn't Built This" ad. $800,000 from Big Government. Again, America, I give to you Romney, the clown.
Is it possible for republicans to be honest about anything??? anything at all??? i seriously doubt if they even know what honesty is.
Look under hypocrite in the dictionary, this guys picture is there.
I wonder how much he was paid for his starring role in that ad.
Look under hypocrite in the dictionary, this guys picture is there. Unbelievable. He spends 12K to get 800K! And complains about the goverment. Romney, you need to find a new example.
Romney's hypocrisy is unfortunately showing again.
Mitt Romney and Metal have both made statements agreeing with the president's point.
He received help. He DIDN'T build "this"...not on his own, but with the help of someone else...just like Obama said. Try again, Romney.
So, Jack Gilchrist is a liar just like Romney ...
"I know that I really didn't build the company myself. I just said that I did because I hate President Obama...duh"
Another day, another lie...Fib Robme 2012
Another lying republican phony. What does Joe the Plumber say?
And the lies continue.....