(CNN) – Democrats on Tuesday ramped up their pressure on the Romney campaign over two new ads on the auto bailout, as each side sought to sway voters in the crucial battleground state of Ohio.
Spokespeople for Obama's re-election effort pointed to quotes from General Motors and Chrysler executives blasting Mitt Romney over a new round of ads that accuse the auto giants of shifting jobs overseas.
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"The ad is cynical campaign politics at its worst," General Motors spokesman Greg Martin told The New York Times. "We think creating jobs in the U.S. and repatriating profits back in this country should be a source of bipartisan pride."
The Romney radio ad, which aired in Ohio Tuesday, claims GM plans to double the number of cars built in China and that Chrysler plans to start making Jeeps in the same country.
"Mitt Romney: He'll stand up for the auto industry in Ohio, not China," the ad's narrator concludes.
The ad follows a television spot released over the weekend, which makes the same argument and faced wide criticism in recent days for its accuracy.
"Obama took GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy and sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China," the television spot's narrator says.
Romney originally floated that idea at a rally in Defiance, Ohio last week. He quoted a report about the majority owner of Chrysler, Fiat, saying it was considering producing its signature Jeep in China.
However, the Bloomberg report to which Romney was apparently referring said that the potential move would only affect cars produced for Chinese consumers.
Chrysler Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Gualberto Ranieri emphatically denied the possibility U.S. production would be affected, writing in an online posting, "Let's set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China."
The ad was rated "Pants on Fire" by the independent, fact-checking group PolitiFact.com. And former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden on Monday tag teamed in their attacks against Romney over the ad.
The Romney campaign did not highlight their television ad–or Tuesday's radio ad–with a press release to reporters, as they have with nearly every other spot, but CNN's ad tracker Kantar Media CMAG, spotted the ad running on broadcast television stations in Toledo and Youngstown, Ohio – two Ohio manufacturing strongholds.
Martin, the GM representative, said Romney's ads show that the candidate is "bereft of any fundamental understanding of the global automotive industry.
"All global manufacturers, whether General Motors, Ford, Chrysler or VW, build historically in the markets in which we sell," he continued.
Romney's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
– CNN's Rachel Streitfel, Gregory Wallace and Shannon Travis contributed to this report.
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Corporate welfare for these companies at taxpayer expense, and Fiat is benefitting in another country
Romney's ad actually places GM (an American company) in a terrible light. GM actually has to defend itself from false political attacks by Romney. How can Romney say he wants to help GM, when he is dragging them through muddy politics that he created. Unbelievable. Romney doesn't appear to like GM, since he is essentially throwing GM under the bus. Since, Romney said "Corporations are people" does these mean GM can take Romney to court for slanderous remarks?
The lyin tax cheat romney deserves to lose and will on Nov 6
Romney simply ignores that the president of Chrysler corrected him and said they are not sending the production of American Jeeps to China. Obama takes $700M out of Medicare expenses and not any out of the benefits, while Romney wants to reinstate those funds which then helps Special Interests and not Medicare recipients. Romney wants to cut taxes 20% across the board and aggressively cut regulations, which effectively once again gives “the money” Carte Blanche, like it was with Bush-Cheney, to further exploit their advantages and feed their insatiable “more” (never enough) appetite. As for all of the problems, Romney blames Obama without acknowledging the problems were given to Obama by Bush-Cheney, that the Republicans fought to block and fault all efforts and Romney’s math just doesn’t add up, as he simply says, “trust me, I know what to do”. The consistency is there and the message is absolutely clear that Romney literally has a lot of gall but returning to “more of the same”, Bush-Cheney style, with government catering to “the money” and depending on deception to con the people and manipulate public opinion, just can’t do anything other than get “more of the same” results that cost us so much.
Romney cannot tell the truth on an subject. And, hard to beliecve, some people actualoy plan on voting for him!!!!!!
Romney lied??? No way!!!
Biden and Clinton are right the romney campaign "Has no shame" the reason they will not respond is that would have to admit the lie We have republican citizens united free speakers telling Romney et he is lying and clearly does not understand the auto business ( great business man supposed to be is he??)
By the ad says" Mitt romney:- says he will stand up for the auto industry in Ohio, not China."
Do I smell a Republican government even hinting getting involved/interfering in private corporations business decisions??
This totally convoluted attempt at vote grabbing is the third time, in his campaigning in Ohio I would have, if I were voting in Ohio; now multiple reasons to reject him as President.
Regards,
Hodgson
i would like to see gm and chrysler go ontv with comercial to refute what mr romney said .
Mitt Romney will do and say anything to get to The White House and is demonstrating on a daily basis that he is not a man of character and has no moral compass. Good for Chrysler and GM for calling him out on his lies. Romney cannot be trusted with the Presidency of this country.
It's about time. I thought one of the Ten Commandments said do not lie but I guess the teavangelicals choose to ignore that one.
The more I hear about Romney the more disgusted I am. The lies, the arrogance, the self serving this spineless man shows. He is definitely not presidential material.
There is always going to be a winner or a looser, but for Romany to go down like this is beyond any descent human being comprehension. America is not for sell. If Romany thinks we are so stupid, he will come to know who American people are all about when we cast our vote. After the election you can join your buddy Trump and get the hell out of our sight.
This alone should disqualify the Mitt
Wow, Romney just blew his chance at the election.
The Romnesia Click! Couldnt Run American Motor Company! Their OS budget Was Turn-Coats!
I am glad to see that these companies took a stand against the false ads that the Romney team aired in Ohio. It shows a candidate that is desperate. It also speaks volumes about his character.
Romney is finished. He is a disgrace along with akin and mourdock and the rest of them. Rove and the kock brothers.. Slimey and perverted people. Ryan at a CLOSED soup kitchen. ITS TIME TO GET RID OF THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR KIND!!!!
Gee, What a shocker. LOL... Romney is getting desparate, believing he will lose. This should be the final straw for people to see how fake this guy is, and what he will do to win. Win at what cost? By any means necessary I suppose; even if that includes lying to the American people.
Hey, you think romney's gonna let the truth get in the way of his campaign??
Wonder what Trigg, Tragg, whatever, Skippy Romney thinks of his dad NOW?
There's something a little strange about this Romney guy!
Mitt Romney: Started the general campaign with a lie, ending the general campaign with a lie. The press has found Romney's campaign lying throughout this campaign.
Romney is poison for the United States of America.
And the right-wingers still think Romney never lies. The fact is, is that Romney never tells the truth. Sickening.
Only a fool would vote for romney in michigan