Obama aide: Romney not honest about how he'd cut deficit

(CBS News) As the presidential campaigns battle in the final stretch before Election Day and the polls show the race tightening, two campaign aides sparred on Sunday's "Face the Nation" over policies for the next term.

Stephanie Cutter, top aide to President Obama's campaign, said former Governor Mitt Romney "is traveling around the country either being dishonest about his policy or not giving details." She said his "singular economic plan" is to give tax cuts for the wealthy.

Romney aide Kevin Madden offered a description of Romney's plan to reduce the deficit: "Governor Romney said we take care of the growth side, lower tax side and winnow away the inefficiencies, find the inefficiencies in the federal government, the federal budget, that's how we bring down the deficit and get the economy going."

"That sounds incredibly detailed," Cutter sarcastically quipped. "That's not an honest way... to give the American people what your agenda is for the next four years,"

Madden, however, had the same criticism for the president. The president's campaign "has not been one about the future. It hasn't been talking about what they would do in the next four years to rebuild the economy," he said.

"Mitt Romney ought to come on the trail with us and come to some of the rallies and listen to what the president is saying," Cutter retorted. She pointed to the president's plans to invest in community colleges and new math and science teachers. She also said Mr. Obama would reduce dependence on foreign oil "in half" and cut the deficit.

Madden didn't buy it, and claimed Mr. Obama and his campaign have "reduced themselves to very small attacks," referring to the president's stump speech line characterizing Romney's shifting positions as "Romnesia."

"It's a playful term to describe what Mitt Romney is doing," said Cutter in defense. "He has run as a severely conservative candidate the last six years, and in the last two weeks of this campaign he's suddenly moving to the middle? What about all those policies he declared?"

Madden said "playing Scrabble" with his opponent's name is "a glaring example of how the campaign has been."

Madden said Romnesia is just one example of the "smallness" of the president's campaign. "All this talk about binders, talk about Big Bird. All of that is indicative of a candidate that doesn't have a vision for the future," Madden quipped.

Schieffer noted that it was Romney, not the president, who first brought up binders and Big Bird. Madden responded by stating it was "very small" of the Obama campaign to make it a central component of their campaign.

Cutter argued, however, that both topics represented important examples of Romney's views and policies.

Big Bird, she said, was "the only thing Mitt Romney could point to as to how he would reduce the deficit" at the first debate. She also blamed Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, for running up the deficit during his time in Congress for voting for two wars and tax cuts during President George W. Bush's administration.

Moving to Romney's "binders" remark from the second presidential debate (where he said he was given "binders full of women" as potential hires for top level positions while he served as governor of Massachusetts), Cutter said it was the only accomplishment Romney could point to.

"He had a binder full of women. That's important because it's really symbolic of the governor's policies," said Cutter, who characterized Romney's positions on equal pay for women, contraception and health care as detrimental towards women.

[moretruthnow]

Republicans have plans that are harmful to Americans. If they want war with Iran we don't want that. If they want more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires we don't want that. If they want to end Medicare and Social Security we don't want that. If they think we are going to vote for these liars who have been against women's rights they are wrong. Being against equal pay, against treating all people decently, against birth control for heaven's sake is extremism.

[Molly-Pchr]

Ms. C is constantly interrupting, it's remarkable anyone can tell the truth about anything when speaking with her, she constantly interrupts. She grates. Think Obama can do better, he's the president, for Heaven's sake!

[TimeToEvolve]

Robbed Me NOT HONEST. Nooooooooo!

I love it, Robbed took his biggest weakness (lack of any actual plans or ideas) and now is accusing Obama of that. Along with the legions of ******* Fox Keeps You Stupid Channel cheerleaders.

I smell the dirty butt of KKKarl Rove again.

[Necroscope84]

I think Newt said it best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQc9K1l-kZQ

Mitt Romney's real debate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZfXvFAeHVo

[17434976]

I am tired of the politicians calling Social Security and entitlement program the government pays not one red cent into Social Security. You put cash into Social Security, your employer puts cash into Social Security. The government takes the cash and puts in an I owe you now they do not have the money to honor their IOUs. So they call it an entitlement program and would like to eliminate it. You paid for it and I paid for, it and your employer paid for it. We should get what we pay for

[17434976]

If you believe that giving large tax breaks to the 1% will create jobs. You tell me where the jobs went over the last 12 years with those tax breaks in place. I say, the only jobs they created were overseas were the top 1% can hire the cheapest labor. That's not the America that I would like to live in

[StellaWonder]

Stephanie Cutter should be the last one blaming others for dishonesty, LOL. Romney's plan STIMULATES economic growth--something President Obama has fought from day one.

If we don't grow our economy, we won't get out of this mess. I wish the media would be honest with the American people and tell them that Obama's tax increases on the rich will NOT be nearly enough--and will retard job creation and economic growth.

[1ATL1]

How does Romney plan to motivate the House and Senate to do their jobs? Unless the Senate gains a super majority for one party or the other nothing will change. Currently Mitt McConnell and Harry Reid are running this country. Nothing gets to the Presidents desk with out their approval. Mitt McConnell has publicly stated for the last two years that his only objective is to get Obama out of office. I must say he has been true to his word. Screw the American people and blame it on Obama. What's absolutely incredible is it's working. When all the American people demand Congress do their jobs then maybe we would have a ballgame. Until then we can just keep showing up and paying to see a game, that one team just says we're not going to play. Most Americans understand baseball, what kind of sport would it be if only one team shows up to play? Then nobody wins, except the players that get paid for doing nothing.

[moretruthnow]

Stephanie Cutter is the perfect person to accuse republicans of being dishonest. Romney has had just about every position on important issues. Romney being for and against most issues does not promote trust. Constantly flip flopping is lying and that is Romney's most reliable quality.

[anteater12]

http://www.salon.com/2012/10/18/tagg_romney_mr_white_privilege/singleton/

Tagg Romney: Mr. White Privilege
Tagg Romney admits he'd like to slug Obama, becoming the latest white man that thinks he can say whatever he wants

[indie-voter]

Why can't Dems provide examples of what President Obama will do from his plan?

All I see Dems doing is attacking what Romney said. Can somebody send the Dems' link to where those Romney "bad idea" facts (?) are coming from? They are facts, right?

[scotterbug5012]

if less taxs works why has.nt it worked in the last 10 years .///