Amid GOP attacks, Obama touts killing of Bin Laden

Updated: 12:50 p.m. ET

(CBS News) Amid attacks from presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney on President Obama's "failed record," the Obama campaign is spotlighting what may represent the most clear-cut victory of the president's tenure in office so far: The killing of Osama bin Laden.

The Obama campaign released a video Friday in which former President Bill Clinton touts the president's leadership in proceeding with a raid on bin Laden's Pakistan compound last year - a risky mission that resulted in the al Qaeda leader's death.

"He knew what would happen. Suppose the Navy Seals had gone in there and it hadn't been bin Laden," Mr. Clinton says in the minute-and-thirty-second spot. "Suppose they'd been captured or killed. The downside would have been horrible for him. But he reasoned, I cannot in good conscience do nothing. He took the harder and the more honorable path and the one that produced, in my opinion, the best result."

Ahead of the raid on bin Laden's Abbottobad complex in May 2011, the Obama administration was divided over whether and in what form to launch the mission, according to the New York Times. Ultimately, Mr. Obama opted to send in Navy Seals rather than bombing the compound -- an option which would have been less risky but which would have provided less certainty as to whether or not bin Laden had been killed in it.

"Which path would Mitt Romney have taken?" the ad asks, presenting the question via subtitles.

The spot posits an answer to that question, supplying an April 2007 quote from Romney saying, of the hunt for bin Laden, "It's not worth moving heaven and earth, spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person."

In recent days, the Romney campaign has hammered Mr. Obama for what his campaign argues is a flimsy record, accusing the president of predicating his re-election bid on "scattershot attacks" and his own likability since he does not have a strong record to run on.

"We now know that only one campaign is going to run on President Obama's record of the past three-and-a-half years in office - and it's not the Obama campaign," said Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades in a Friday memo blasting the president. "Without the ability to run on a record of achievement, the incumbent is reduced to a campaign based on scattershot attacks on Governor Romney in particular and Republicans in general."

An RNC memo released Friday morning mirrored that argument, blasting Mr. Obama for his recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon, which was widely circulated on the internet: "A successful incumbent would just run on his record. A failed president resorts to 'slow jamming the news.'"

The attacks are an apparent effort to portray the Mr. Obama as a likeable political lightweight in contrast to an allegedly more serious - if markedly less "cool" -- alternative.

"Democrats say this won't be a referendum on Obama," former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told a Republican polling firm. "It'll be a choice -- the choice is that slimy, mean, dirty, greedy, cheatin', lying Republican, or Prince Charming."

Team Obama, meanwhile, is bringing out the big guns to combat the GOP framing of the president as a lightweight.

"Thanks to President Obama, bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive," said Vice President Joe Biden in New York on Thursday. "You have to ask yourself, 'had Governor Romney been president, could he have used the same slogan in reverse?' People are going to make that judgment. It's a legitimate thing to speculate on."

Mr. Clinton argued in the video released Friday that Mr. Obama has demonstrated his ability to make the tough calls required of a president.

"He had to decide," Clinton said, of Mr. Obama's decision to proceed with the bin Laden mission. "And that's what you hire a president to do. You hire the president to make the calls when no one else can do it."

[Patriot3_16]

Can't kill a corpse morons.. Read.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41576,00.html

[BlameRepublicanz]

Cons felt the same way when Bin Laden was killed as they did when good job numbers come out...PISSED OFF!

DOESN'T GET MORE ANTI-AMERICAN THAN THAT, FOLKS!

[Patriot3_16]

Can't kill a corpse morons.. Read.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41576,00.html

[raymailhot]

He will take responsibility for what the seals have done, has an opinion on local crimes, defends students with over active contraceptive needs, but is absent on the economy or federal budget?

Is this a president?

[BlameRepublicanz]

yes it is actually...he was ASKED about the Trayvon martin shooting so he answered it...absent on the economy? is that why 4 million jobs have been created and unemployment is down to 8.2% from 10.3%? nice try!

[occupy_cbs]

raymailhot: "He will take responsibility for what the seals have done"



Hey ray -- it's called being the Commander in Chief of ALL the armed forces, which is exactly what every President is.

Did bush junior take credit for letting bin Ladin get away at Tora Bora, when they had him surrounded?

[occupy_cbs]

SmithyA1: "smirk5,Say, are you one of those guys that Obama reportedly pays to stay on 24/7"

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 8:38 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 8:57 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:01 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:05 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:08 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:21 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:40 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:44 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:49 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:55 PM EDT

by SmithyA1 April 27, 2012 9:58 PM EDT







Hey smitty -- POT MEET KETTLE!

BTW, who is paying you conservatrolls for your machine-gun posting?

[occupy_cbs]

"It'll be a choice -- the choice is that slimy, mean, dirty, greedy, cheatin', lying Republican, or Prince Charming." -- haley barbour



Well gee haley, what do you really think of willard mittens robmee?

[NashSimon]

Somebody remind Barry it was a Seal team that took care of Bin Laden.
Another comment; GM received about 40+ billion (tax payer funds), debt forgiven, government owned stock now, union controlled and owned.

What entity on the planet couldn't succeed on those terms. By the way, GM still owes 24+ billion to taxpayers, but I noticed they have found plentiful funds for generous bonuses to our wonderful union brothers.

Another great deal for taxpayers!!!

[BlameRepublicanz]

its worth the livelihood of the american auto industry and the jobs of a million americans...conservative selfishness exemplified by you

[Nikeforpresident]

Actually, the reason for the auto bailout was the banks were all in the midst of a major liquidity crisis and the normal mechanisms for handling bankruptcies were not available at the time. In that situation, the government ends up being the agency that gets something done that ordinarily would be done by normal institutions.

If you want to get so technical about debt, tell you what when we add the tax revenues from individual workers and the taxes that GM pays, the return on investment actually is quite respectable--whether or not all of the "debt" is paid back now or not.

[Zirkel666]

You fine folks should not bother arguing with brainwashed right wing ideologues like TaxJoke. What is the point?

Don't get your blood pressure up over these kind of things. Let them revel in their irrational hatred of anything other than the most extreme rigtwing viewpoint. Heck, they even consider moderates communists. Quite amazing really

[smirk5]

Bin Laden is dead.
GM is alive.
USA! USA! USA!

[BlameRepublicanz]

unemployment is down to 8.2% from 10.3% after the bush job losses ended...not too bad for 2 years...nice try smithy

[smirk5]

TaxJoke should just rename itself TotalJoke.

[smirk5]

Obama suppored the Afghanistan invasion. He was never opposed to going after Bin Laden. He just had the sense to know that Bin Laden wouldn't be in Iraq. Being against the Iraq war in no way means one was opposed to going after Bin Laden. In fact, invading Iraq was a waste of time and money that could have been better directed towards real threats. Obama was right. Iraq was a dumb war. Obama was right. We should have been willing to enter Pakistan to go after Bin Laden. If bowing to our enemies means sending seals in to shoot them, then you're right. Obama bowed to Bin Laden.

[smirk5]

Deep down, Cons are bummed that Bin Laden is dead. They'd rather he be alive than face the fact that Obama made the call that resulted in killing an actual true enemy of the U.S. Instead of celebrating the fact that Bin Laden is dead, they're whining about the fact that the President is rightfully taking some credit for his decision.

[smirk5]

Joke,
Obama didn't agree with starting the Iraq war. He called it a dumb war. Of course, he was right. It was a dumb war. He never said we shouldn't have gone to Afghanistan. In fact, he was critical of Bush and said that Bush dropped the ball and should have concentrated on Afghanistan instead of going after Iraq. Of course, he was right about that. He said we should be willing to go after our true enemies in Pakistan if we had actionable intelligence. McCain disagreed with that and you Cons voted for him anyway. Obama was correct and you guys were wrong. We should have gone into Pakistan to get Bin Laden and Obama made the call to do so. And now, you guys whine because Obama is fairly taking credit for the decision to go after Bin Laden. Let's all just be happy that McCain didn't win since Bin Laden would surely still be alive.

[smirk5]

Joke,

Obama gave the order that resulted in Bin Laden being killed. Bush no longer cared about Bin Laden just a few years after 9-11. Obama risked his whole Presidency to go after Bin Laden.