(CNN) – President Barack Obama's re-election campaign announced a new ad linking Mitt Romney's former private equity firm to a Chinese appliance company that Team Obama says relied on American outsourcing for its success.
The 30-second commercial, announced Monday, will air on television in seven battleground states - New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada.
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The Obama campaign did not release further information on the size of the buy or when the commercial will air.
The ad, "Since When," criticizes the Republican candidate for a decision made while Romney was CEO of Bain Capital to invest in a Chinese appliance company called Global Tech.
The ad points to a September Boston Globe report describing Global Tech as a "low-wage, low tax" company that used "inexpensive labor."
The narrator in the ad begins: "These appliances could have been made here in America. But a company called Global Tech maximized profits by paying its workers next to nothing, under sweatshop conditions, in China."
And continues: "When Mitt Romney led Bain, they saw Global Tech as a good investment even knowing that the firm promoted its practice of exploiting low-wage labor to its investors."
The ad concludes: "Mitt Romney, tough on China? Since when?"
Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg called the Obama campaign ad "overboard" and an attempt from the president to "distract from his failure to stand up to China."
"Four years ago, then candidate Barack Obama promised to take China to the mat, but refused to label China a currency manipulator because he didn't want them to be embarrassed," said Henneberg. "President Obama's failure to stand up to China has cost our country jobs and is one more reason that we can't have four more years like the last four years. Mitt Romney will stand up to China, label them a currency manipulator, protect our intellectual property, and ensure that more jobs stay in America."
While both candidates have attacked their respective opponent for outsourcing American jobs, the issue of China and the country's questionable trade practices has come into focus as the campaign winds into the final weeks before Election Day. Both sides hope to put a dent in the other candidate's perceived ability to lead America's economy on an international stage. The Obama administration filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization in September over China's trade practices, a case the Romney campaign said had political motivations and billed as "too little, too late."
CNN's Dana Davidsen contributed to this report.
Why do you think the MittWitt would do anything his biggest benefactors would not like?
It's about time someone called out this vulture capitalist for what he is. To raid pension funds and put people out of work is immoral and unethical.
Romney/Ryan should be running for office in China, Cayman Island, Bermuda, Switzerland and who knows where else, but not here in the USA. It's OK for Romney to belong to the billionaires club of Adelson and others but it's not OK to outsource American jobs and investments for personal profit and then stand in the face of Americans, which include our military/families, disabled, seniors who all represent 47%, and say you don't care about them. On election day we need to show Mr. Romney how much we care about him and that includes 100% of Americans. Vote Obama 2012, he cares about 100% of Americans.
Again, he has fired American workers to send their jobs to China and he has bought factories there.
It doesn't matter what they say or do, the twit has his dirty little paws in almost everything that goes against everything decent and ethical. The man lacks character and poor little non working wife, she had to come out again trying to save her man and inserted her foot in mouth again.
Sorry, ugly fish tee wearer, we don't feel sorry for him or for you.
Interestingly, Obama's "tough on China" approach with tires did little but to stimulate imports from other cheap nations. It, at best, "created" 100 jobs in the tire production sector. Yeah, that's SO tough... When Romney talked about it being bad for America, he was referring to how the price of the product would increase, which it did. Protectionist policies have never worked in America over time. We've tried how many times now?
America would have been better off if Obama had outsourced the Presidency over the past 4 years.
FORTY-SEVEN PERCENT–Bain-Capital shipped JOBS TO CHINA. Stashed money in CAYMAN ISLANDS. Show me your 12 years of TAXES, please!!!!! Obama12.
It's not about China but America! Romney is good for China, Obama is good for America!! Obama, Nov 6!
No doubt that Mr. Romney supported outsourcing, It was THE PLAN to make more money so that the owners, shareholders, and corporate boards could be well-paid. The workers never were considered. They let people go and took jobs overseas because they wanted more money for themselves. They did line their pockets. Just look at the salaries and compensation packages given to those in charge. Do they really need millions to do their jobs? Do sports figures, movie stars, singers, need to make millions upon millions? Yet, these same people do not want to pay teachers, policemen, firemen, doctors, nurses, people in the medical profession etc. a living wage? We need to decide what we really want in this country. Will there be an elite with the rest of us in the other class?
Some of these companies should emulate Dutch companies which have been able to make a profit and to keep unemployment down.
What about the Romney owned oil company in China,the one recently turned away by the government trying to buy UNICAL OIL.Or the companies Romney bought and supposidly sold just prior to making it known he's running for president,he's just ticked because the president did put his foot down recently on that take over bid on the American owned windfarm company didn't he!!So Romney don't be so sanctumonious in fighting "AGAINST CHINESE IMPORTS" when its you that just recently said at Clintons Initiative conference you'd give foriegn aid to countries producing products for American use or consumption,remember,probibly American invested like Romneys!!
The ad, "Since When," criticizes the Republican candidate for a decision made while Romney was CEO of Bain Capital to invest in a Chinese appliance company called Global Tech.
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Who cares? Did the US federal government not collect taxes on the profits Bain brought home from China? I'm sure they did. Gladly. But this was private money. And if Obama is so much more patriotic an investor than Romney, why does the US Treasury still have $25 billion parked in General Motors so they can expand Chinese automotive technology and manufacturing creating tens of thousands of middle class Chinese jobs while Americans suffer over 8% ( official ) unemployment? Ironic, isn't it for Obama to be chastising Romney for investing private money in China?
Obama has sent plenty of our jobs off shore........simply by not allowing American companies to produce their products here!
Mitt seems to outsource a lot of things. Hell he even outsourced his money !
Obama is the King and he should know.
Obama still after almost four years doesn't have a clue great speaker but an empty suit.
We already know that Obama is not tough on China...look at his track record. Big business is leaving this country and moving off shore and the pace has picked up under Obama.
The 0bama brand of outsourcing:
giving work permit to millions of illegals.
Vote 0bama out in Nov. 2012!
Outsourcing , banking in the Cayman Islands , five sons who avoided voluntary military service.
Thats the American way !
Romney / Ryan
A better tomorrow for a few 202