Clinton stars in new Obama ad
(CNN) – Former President Bill Clinton takes center stage in a new ad released by President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign on Thursday.
The former president, who’s been a top surrogate for Obama this year, largely praises Obama in the spot and attempts to draw a contrast between Republicans and Democrats this election year.
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"This is a clear choice. The Republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper income people and go back to deregulation. That's what got us in trouble in the first place,” Clinton says in the ad. "President Obama has a plan to rebuild America from the ground up, investing in innovation, education, and job training. It only works if there is a strong middle class."
He later adds: "That's what happened when I was President. We need to keep going with his plan."
The 30-second ad, "Clear Choice," will air in the battleground states of New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.
Responding to the ad, Romney's campaign pointed to the Republican candidate's plan to spur economic growth.
"Mitt Romney's 'sterling' private sector experience and his Plan for a Stronger Middle Class offer a new direction. He will jumpstart economic growth, creating 12 million jobs and bringing hope to the middle class," said Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg.
Her statement referred to Clinton's praise of Romney's corporate experience, when he said on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" in May that Romney had a "sterling business career" as CEO of Bain Capital. Clinton faced strong criticism from Democrats who had been using Romney's corporate history as an attack line.
In his stump speeches, Obama frequently credits Clinton-era policies for the strong economy in the '90s, arguing the country fared well under Clinton because he "understood what it takes for this economy."
"Nobody has a better grasp and understanding of the issues than this man," Obama said at a June fundraiser in New York.
Clinton was used in another political ad recently, though much to his chagrin.
Mitt Romney’s team featured the former president positively in a recent spot that attacks Obama for “gutting” the work requirement in the welfare reform law signed off by Clinton in 1996. The ad was part of a weeks-long campaign by Team Romney that leveled charges at Obama over his administration’s welfare adjustments.
However, Clinton himself, as well as fact-check groups and several news outlets, including CNN, have all said the Romney claim that Obama ended the work requirement is untrue.
Clinton had a staring role in an Obama campaign video in late April, with the former president praising the current president's role in last year's military raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.
Clinton, who was set to headline a pro-Obama super PAC event this month, will further cement his role as a major player in this year's election when he delivers a prime time speech at the Democratic National Convention in September.
The former president also joined Obama at an April fundraiser in Virginia.
- CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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Obama must have some pretty mean dirt on ol' Billy to be getting Clinton to make this snake oil pitch to the American people. What little reputation Clinton had started to rebuild will be going down the drain along with Obama in November. It is sad to see Clinton sell his soul to the devil and put the needs of his country last.
Bush inherited a relatively strong economy, a budget surplus, and a nation at peace.
Eight years later, Bush left a shattered economy, a trillion dollar deficit, and two useless wars.
Obama saved the country from another Great Depression, rebuilt GM, reformed healthcare, reformed Wall Street, doubled the stock market, created 12 straight quarters of GDP growth, created 29 straight months of private sector job growth, got Bin Laden, got Gaddafi, and got us out of Iraq.
And now with the automatic spending cuts and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts in 2012, Obama is solving the deficit problem as well.
Obama has done a very good job.
"Help...help...help.. Bill adn Hillary!" I could hear Obama screaming because he cannot talk out his way on why 8.3% never went down as he promised. Why deficit went up 5Trillion when Obama promised to cut the 10Trilion in half. Why he missed up badly with investments like Solyndra and other green companies. Why as the CEO of this country, he cannot unite the citizens of this country because of his "class warfare" ideology. WHY...WHY...WHY.. Obama.. WHERE..WHERE..WHERE are your promises to US. WE ARE WAITING AND IT HAS BEEN 4 YEARS? As the CEO of this nation, you MUST BE FIRED!!!
Clinton is the one who said Obama's platform was a "fairy tale." Boy, has that turned out to be true.
It is such hypocrisy when the dems have Clinton to speak when you look how oppressive he was to all those women he abused. Geesh.
"What little reputation Clinton had started to rebuild will be going down the drain along with Obama in November.'
DERP! Bill Clinton is universally beloved around the world and still extremely popular and influential in the US. The humanitarian and charitable work CGI does is nothing short of near-miraculous. Get yourself informed. Facts, data, evidence, objective reality...those things actually matter. Just because you've got the fanciest tinfoil hat on the block doesn't mean you're allowed to live in your own little delusion bubble and expect everyone else to share your delusions with you.
RealityBites wrote:
Meanwhile..., gas prices at $4 per gallon and oil nears $100 per barrel under Obama's green policies.
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Meanwhile, back in the real world of facts....we had gas prices at over $5 per gallon in most Americans and a barrel of oil selling for $147 a barrel on the world market under Bush.
@Something Wrong Here: "5 Broken Obama Broken Promises:
• Cut the Deficit in Half = Let the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire; they aren't creating jobs here in the U.S.
• Fix the Economy = Tell the GOP to stop vetoing every plan to do so; Repub governors stop laying off public employees
• Close Guantanamo Bay = Did you complain to all the Repubs whining about how they didn't want any of the prisoners here in the U.S., even though no one has escaped from a maximum security U.S. prison?
• Televise Health Care Debate = It was debated for a year; if you can't find the info you need or read the proposals and final bill (which would show you it contained TONS of Repub ideas), then that's your fault
• Increase Transparency = Again, if you can't do the research, then that's your problem. If you're looking for transparency, petition Mittens 'n' Munster to release their tax returns.
What's wrong here is the GOP's making defeating President Obama their #1 priority, instead of doing their freakin' JOBS of HELPING OUR COUNTRY!
Obama/Biden 2012 = The only sane choice
Where or Where was that plan in the last 4 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Guest
The Romney/Ryan Plan is not serious at living up to its' billing. They have convinced people that it would reduce the deficit, cut spending, etc. But, the Romney/Ryan Plan does not balance the budget until 2040 at the earliest, which is using the optimistic projections and assumptions that Ryan supplied to the CBO to score his plan.
The plan is to make us all more dependent on Big Government-to take your money and give it to someone else-to make it more difficult for you to succeed.
The plan is Socialism.
Dyslexic doG - Bush inherited a relatively strong economy, a budget surplus, and a nation at peace.
========================================================================
And now the truth.... Bush was handed a RECESSION (dot com bubble burst sound familiar?), the budget surplus was from the Republican congress and "a nation at peace" except for all those terroist attacks from the thousands of al-quada in Afghan training camps and Clinton's refusal to approve the takedown of Bin Laden when they literally had him in the gun sights.
@Rudy NYC
RealityBites wrote:
Meanwhile..., gas prices at $4 per gallon and oil nears $100 per barrel under Obama's green policies.
-----–
Meanwhile, back in the real world of facts....we had gas prices at over $5 per gallon in most Americans and a barrel of oil selling for $147 a barrel on the world market under Bush.
-------------------------------------------
And there goes what little credibility you had left. Yes, gas did get that high under Bush, but by the time Obama took office gas was back down to under $2 a gallon! Where has the price of gas been for the past 3.5 years??? Oh yeah, over $3 a gallon the entire time.
How could Bill Clinton possibly have any credibility? Sure, he may be likeable and at times humorous but that doesn't solve national issues. After admittedly lying under oath, would anyone take anything he says seriously? Clinton had the same tax and spend problems that barack has during his first two years; the only reason his administration had any form of success was because Newt pulled him back to the center after the 1994 mid-term elections. Romney / Ryan will win this election in a landslide victory similar to Reagan / Bush in 1980.
You know Clinton just wants to say Obama is a joke. I still remember stating,"this whole deal is a fairy tail" when discussing Obama's candidacy 4 years ago and his lack of experience. I bet Hillary and Bill chuckle every night at the bill of goods Americans were sold by the media on the legitimacy and strength of Obama.
Sniffit - Bill Clinton is universally beloved around the world and still extremely popular and influential in the US
==============================================================================
Yeah, Al-Quada loved him quite a bit for giving them a pass for years while they attacked us all over the globe. And his popularity in the USA is a bit baffling considering he sexuallly harraassed an employee while in office then lied to the Americna people about it. Then there are the numerous accusations of unwanted sexual advances and one even accused him of rape.
Bill Clinton, the one man war on women!! I'm sure Hillary can attest to this.
Yes!!!! Clinton knows how to do it. Did you know that when he left office we had a $200 trillion surplus and the U.S. Capital was rebuilt out of solid gold? Pay you taxes!!!!
Obama 2012
Bill Clinton is a great man that has served his country well. He was painted as a racist by Obama in the Democratic primary and yet he shows once again he is the better man. Hillary would have done so much better. The years with Bill Clinton in charge were very prosperous years and Hillary would haVe had us back on track by now. We are not better off than we were 4 years ago but we could have been. I fear it will be 2016 before our country has much of a chance for recovery. The leadership just isn't there now.
@Wilson: "And there goes what little credibility you had left. "
And there goes yours. The President does not influence global gas prices; just ask Fox (May 23, 2008).
BILL, (WE COULD GIVE YOU MORE OF YOUR MONEY BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO SPEND IT) CLINTON ? That Bill Clinton? Bill Clinton is such a Wuss. The Democrats need to Regurgitate Harry Truman. Now there was a real democrat! Harry was no prize, But neither is "Slick Willy"
"Romney / Ryan will win this election in a landslide victory similar to Reagan / Bush in 1980."
Yuo need more than hallucinations to back that up....and you'll have to skip trying to rely on polls and statistics because those show a very high likelihood of Obama winning. So, please, enlighten us...what are the facts and data upon which you rely? Ready? GO!
*crickets*
@David: "The plan is to make us all more dependent on Big Government-to take your money and give it to someone else-to make it more difficult for you to succeed. The plan is Socialism."
If you don't like government, move to Somalia; if you don't like income tax, move to India.
If you don't like Socialism, refund your public education and start paying for:
Police, fire, EMT personnel; public roads, highways, bridges, airports, seaports; libraries, public schools and universities; clean water coming out of your tap; inspected food you buy at the grocery store (brought to you over those public roads); hydroelectric power plants; the Internet (a result of federally-funded basic research); the CDC; the National Park system; the U.S. military.
BTW, you're welcome!
Obama/Biden 2012 = The only sane choice
I like Bill Clinton...really I do. But sniffit, his reputation is crap. No bias in that statement just fact. If Hillary could speak freely, what do you think her take would be. Time for you to step away from the keyboard and smell some fresh air...really. 24/7 on these blogs will make you crazy(ier).
Seems like forever since the glory days of a Clinton. He knew how to compromise for the better of the country and get things done as opposed to the Narcissist and Chief we have now. The Democratic Party now is the true party of death and taxes. Celebrate abortion and higher taxes which was not what we got with the successful Presidency of Clinton.
-Wilson
@Rudy NYC
RealityBites wrote:
Meanwhile..., gas prices at $4 per gallon and oil nears $100 per barrel under Obama's green policies.
-––
Meanwhile, back in the real world of facts....we had gas prices at over $5 per gallon in most Americans and a barrel of oil selling for $147 a barrel on the world market under Bush.
---------------
And there goes what little credibility you had left. Yes, gas did get that high under Bush, but by the time Obama took office gas was back down to under $2 a gallon! Where has the price of gas been for the past 3.5 years??? Oh yeah, over $3 a gallon the entire time.
****************************
Where in this country was gas under $2 a gallon? We have not see gas that cheap in almost a decade. Currently, yes, its approaching $4: get your facts straight.