Romney issues preemptive Obama jabs
Tampa, Florida (CNN) - Keeping up his newly aggressive tone, Mitt Romney drubbed President Obama at a Tuesday event for amassing a "record of debt, decline and disappointment" in a fiery preemptive response on the eve of the president's State of the Union address.
In a formal speech to about 100 Floridians, Romney faulted Obama for failing to bring the unemployment rate under 8% and accused the president of "making these troubled times last longer."
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"Tonight, the President will do what he does best. He will give a nice speech with a lot of memorable phrases," Romney said. "But he won't give you the hard numbers."
While campaigning in a state hard hit by the foreclosure crisis, Romney continued his characterization of Obama as a tax-and-spend president who made big promises but did not follow through.
"He keeps telling people, 'We can't wait,'" said Romney, in a riff on a pair of Obama campaign slogans. "To which I say, 'Yes, we can.'"
The optics of the event underlined Romney's message. Reading from a teleprompter, he stood behind a podium in a cavernous former plant that has been shuttered in 2008. Behind him hung a banner that proclaimed: "Obama Isn't Working."
Romney likened the president's address to Congress to a campaign event.
"We'll also be treated to more divisive rhetoric from a desperate campaigner-in-chief," he said. "It's shameful for a President to use the State of the Union to divide our nation."
He charged the president would ignore the difficulties of average Americans in his speech, and said instead Obama would try to "take another victory lap" and present a picture of a "thriving" America.
"The unemployed don't get invitations to sit with the first lady," Romney said about the carefully planned invitations to watch the president's speech in Congress.
The Democratic National Committee said Romney was "distorting the president's record and vision" in the speech.
"Romney knows that unlike President Obama, who will focus tonight on laying out a blueprint for an America that's built to last and where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, he can't win by running on his own record," the DNC said in a statement. "That's because it turned out to be an absolute disaster for America's working and middle-class families."
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Truth and Nothing But the Truth,,,,so what you are telling the world is from 2000 to 2008 you were in a coma....the Blueprint for failure was enacted on this country under GWB...now Obama is using the road map to success to lead this country from the mess, GWB, a former businessman and Harvard MBA grad, got us into. If you failed to acknowledge or accept that fact, please go back to sleep and leave the rest of us alone...we have work to do.
@rick - You also believe the c rap the left tells you. Just find the facts people. Should we also blame Bush for a mess given to him by previous administration (Clinton). By the number of the negative numbers, I have to come to a conclusion from all post I have read by the "left" that they are not educated. Democrats do not look for the convenience of the country as a whole, but rather " What can the Government give me? ".
Hhhhhhheeeeeelllllloooooo out there in flip-flopping land.
You do realize that before spreading lies about President Obama that you first need to stop newter leroy in his tracks, right?
I would also like to know, since you are almost a twin of Obama in policies, or at least you were before you now are not, what are you going to do for us? Buying companies and firing American workers to send their jobs overseas and saying that is the way business is conducted while trash talking the President, whose jobs is NOT to create joss, is not going to sound that great to those lost their jobs thanks to you or don't have jobs because their companies have done the
same. Those new workers refuse to tell you where they are located anymore, security reasons they say.
What Romney doest understand is that Obama isn't Gingrich or any of the other fools on stage with him. He can bash Obama all he wants now but its going to be very different in a general election & when he is standing next to Obama during a debate. Romney will know humiliation.
@logcnLA, If they had given Obama all the "tools" he asked for, this country would be in much worse shape than it is in now. On second thought maybe they should have, then the movment towards socialism would be so obvious that even the liberals with blinders on could see it.
@Jariv
are you KIDDING ME?????? LOL!!!! The MESS left for Bush by Clinton?????????? OMG! You right wingers have GOT to be the least educated people in the world!!! The mess?????????? WOW! Go look some records from what Clinton left bush- a balanced budget, and a surplus! BUSH DESTROYED this country, and Obama is STILL picking up the pieces! Once he is re-elected, and believe me there is ZERO chance he wont be, he will STOP having to deal with the divisive ignorant righties in Congress. He can FINALLY tell them to kiss his black... The right KNOWS that is coming, and are scared to death! I LOVE IT!
Why does weasle Romney not campaign on any achievements as Governor of Massachusetts. He advoids talking about that short term. Being a Govenor is closer to being president, than being an investment banker.
Romney only can Attack Because he have nothing to say about hes past, that's why he only attack, Romney you lost, now you trying to say that you are Mexican just to win a couple of Hispanics voters, losser,
Truth and not a word of truth. Your name should be Rhetoric and nothing but rhetoric.
Romney may want to focus more on stoping the hemorrhaging from that can of azz-whip Gingrich has opened on him over the past 3 weeks. Although you tried last night, it aint looking to good for you Rom.
What kills me the most is all these leftys on these posts think that they have mainstream opinions. Hardly!
It's been over 3 years, and no matter how partisan you are, if you say things are better or getting better, then you absolutely have no judgement skills. It is so obvious that leftist economics and state run and control of sections of the economy are an absolute failure! And you lay that failure at the foot of the President because this is what he wanted to do!!
Lefty's YOU are NOT NORMAL, you a minority in this country, you are experts at knowing so much about what is not so. (RR). Obama, your lover, is a LOSER.
I have all the reasons to remember Herb Cain. At least he had something to sell "999". I have no clue at all what this man (Romney) is selling.
@superD, hmmmmmmmm, that makes sense too.
Willard Mitt is a political coward, like an elementary school kid talking crap behind his foe's back but face-to-face he becomes speechless as he does in his debates. He tried taking on Newt last night and his performance was laughable. Willard Mitt cracks undr pressure and is no competition to Obama in regards to debating. Willard Mitt is the ultimate divider for this country.
Hey Mitt – Maybe you should have used a plant that closed when he was President. All you did was remind us how bad it was during Bush's last year in office.
Romney is getting so desperate! When President Obama took office our country was losing hundreds of thousands of jobs, had a health care mess that no one was willing to do anything about, and two wars started on false pretenses adding billions to our deficit. After ONLY three years, the job loss is stopped, jobs are slowly being added, we have some healthcare reform, one war is ended and the other is in the process/has a timeline for withdrawal. Not to mention, President Obama presided over the capture of Bin Laden and passed important consumer protection laws. All of this done while dealing with massive obstruction and constant criticism from the GOP. What is your plan Romney? Oh yeah, cut taxes for the ultra wealthy (like yourself) and get rid of regulations that protect our environment and consumers. We already know those things are NOT going to create jobs. Bush did just what you are proposing, Romney, and we LOST jobs. Apparently you have a short memory or no brain.
Taran - @logcnLA, If they had given Obama all the "tools" he asked for, this country would be in much worse shape than it is in now. On second thought maybe they should have, then the movment towards socialism would be so obvious that even the liberals with blinders on could see it.
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Yes, I thought this too. But they would NEVER admit their failures. They would just say they needed MORE of what was failing in orde rto not fail. Just like they did with the failed "stimulus" plan. In their book it failed because they should have borrowed and spent THREE TRILLION instead of a measely ONE TRILLION. It is why Obama keeps doubling down on failure and expecting different results. Total lunacity.
problem is Obama inherited a $1.3 trillion dollar deficit. You can't just get into office and say I'm going to cut $1.3 trillion in spending. Iraq and Afghanistan are still not being paid for. So if you cut from social programs, education, infastructure to cut the deficit you'd be stealing money. You could end the wars and put 8 million back to work and come close to balancing the budget, but don't let facts get in the way Romney. Instead let's just keep borrowering money for wars, don't tax anyone, and pass the debt off on future generations. has Romney said anything truthful yet on the campaign trail?
Romney faults Obama for the unemployment rate. He pointedly does NOT fault Bush for creating an unemployment rate second only to the Great Depression. Now, that's partisan.
Why doesn't the GOBP disown Bush/Cheney? They would immediately gain status in the U.S. and the world, and it would cost them nothing, except with the hard-core stupid in the Repugnant Party.
Romney you the worst candidate we ever seen in history. Romney you will never be president. Romney is filthy rich and you dont pay enough tax.
Obama/Biden 2012
"He charged the president would ignore the difficulties of average Americans..." Like Romney has a clue about the difficulties of the average Americans. There is no way Romney can relate to my problems. This is a man (along with Chris Christie) who thinks that Staples and Sports Authority jobs are middle class. Do they have any idea of what the average employee at these companies make and that most of them don't even get 40 hours a week. This is a man who thinks that foreclosures are "tragic" while he owns how many homes. President Obama is still trying to clean up the mess he inherited. Maybe if the President had some cooperation from the republicans who vote against everything they voted for 8, 9, and 10 years ago things would be a lot better. The bottom line is that ever since President Obama was elected all the republicans have done is try to make him look bad. They could care less about the American People. Remember, Mitch McConnell said it himself....their job now was to make President Obama a one term president. So much for the people of this country.