Axelrod: Romney "the most secretive candidate we've seen probably since Richard Nixon"

(CBS News) PARMA, Ohio - The Obama campaign is sharpening its attack on Mitt Romney's personal business and financial dealings.

In an interview with CBS Radio News on the sidelines of an Obama campaign rally Thursday evening in Parma, Ohio, senior campaign adviser David Axelrod called Romney, "the most secretive candidate we've seen probably since Richard Nixon."

Axelrod accused Romney of "trying to turn back the clock" on transparency by 40 years. The veteran Obama adviser criticized Romney for failing to release "a full set of (tax) returns like most candidates."

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(Watch Axelrod's Friday interview on "CBS This Morning" above.)

Axelrod also noted Romney's past use of accounts "in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the Swiss account."

"We don't know what the nature of all these accounts are overseas and he really won't provide much information about them, so you'd have to ask him if he's hiding something," said Axelrod.

He challenged the GOP presidential candidate to "release all these records," adding, "if there are no questions, then it will resolve the whole matter."

The Romney campaign issued a swift response.

"With millions of Americans suffering in the Obama economy, it's no surprise that President Obama and his allies would resort to false, negative attacks in an attempt to distract Americans from the President's abysmal record," campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg told CBS Radio News.

Henneberg accused the Obama "political machine" of "saying or doing anything to try to cover up record-high unemployment" and other economic challenges.

The sharp exchange between the two campaigns developed as President Obama wrapped up the first day of a two-day campaign swing through parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Ann Romney: Obama campaign strategy is "let's kill this guy"

Tensions between the two camps have been building. In an interview with CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford, Ann Romney complained that the Obama campaign was "trying to portray him (Mitt Romney) in a light that is just completely wrong."

Axelrod, meanwhile, said Romney has "spent every minute of his waking day in an unalloyed carpet bombing of the president."

[radsenior]

I agree with David Axelrod. Romney is way too secretive. Romney has undisclosed holding in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. With all his money he should have stepped forward sooner and hired as many as he could to help the American people. Millionaires with money could hire more workers and create jobs here in America. But he hasn't. Hiding money to keep from paying taxes is the mark of Romneyonics and saving taxes for the richest 1%-ers in America. Romney's multiple offshore holdings and hidden wealth proves he's buying the presidency unless the people get out the vote. It is obvious Romney is hiding his money and he has yet to fully disclose his real worth. Private equity, finance and campaign law be damned by Romney's view even though federal law allows it. Romneyonics will become the law of the land if elected and Wall Street will run rampant again.

[JackInDelaware]

Obama .. democrats ... & liberal news media newest claims for BO Never taking any responsibility for America's calamitous economy ..... " I ran out of gas. ... I had a flat tire.... I didn't have enough money for cab fare.... My tux didn't come back from the cleaners.... An old friend came in from out of town.... Someone stole my car..... There was an earthquake.... A terrible flood..... Locusts! .....IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!

[Nannerbucks]

The most secretive since Obama. God I hate CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC. All of them are bunch of propaganda arms for political parties. You guys suck at your job as 'journalists'. You are no different than those horrid get rich fast infomercials you plaster over night.

Anyone who types crap like RepubliCON or Proggies is a tool and a hack. You are screwing with people's lives and people do not like that.

Foundations run this planet alongside of the big banks.

[scdaddyo]

Pretty lame comment given Obama can't even produce an un-doctored birth certification to comply with an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification like every other person in the US is required to.

[clintatl]

hahahahahahha! you're an idiot.

[Nannerbucks]

Yeah... for all the things you can call Obama out for, you morons focus on something that NO ONE GIVES A CRAP ABOUT!!!

[RollotheNorman]

Yep, Axlerod hit the nail on the head. I still remember Tricy Dick's campaign. In '68 he had a "secret plan" to end the Viet Nam War, he finally ended it just in time for the '72 elections. For '72 he wouldn't divulge any plans at all, but his "plumbers" were busy breaking into DNC headquarters. He probably wouldn't have one in '72 if the Dems had of had someone to run against them: They had McGovern whose only plank was get out of 'Nam, which we largely were already.
Still, Tricky extracted gobs of money from business and keep the scope of his extraction secret until his playhouse fell down during Watergate. Yeah Willard's got pretty much the same moves.

[sjc_1]

One difference, Nixon was paranoid, RobMoney just does not want you to know, because if you did he is toast.

[ObamasGuppies]

So what? In compare Obama to Hitler. They are both liars and dictators. At least we knew what to expect from Hitler.

[RollotheNorman]

Ok. Mmmm, they both breath air, drink water, and eat food. Hmmmm, umm, ahhh, they both put on their pants one leg at a time. Haven't you little wingnut groupies got better things to do with your time than cut and pasting this trash under every topic?

[Livelystone60]

Boy that's the pot calling the kettle black if I ever saw it!! This from an administration who is secretive with Fast and Furious!! Give me a break. All politicians are the same and Obama is proof of that. I for one am ready for an independent party President who thinks on his own and not for his party!!!

[clintatl]

Even Issa admits the President had nothing to do with this.

[RollotheNorman]

LOL, Fortune Magazine exposed the RepubliCON liars, do try to keep up!

[Hanna4055]

To prepare for the next Romney lie about the jobs report for June, check out his explanation regarding unemployment results at the end of his term as Governor.

Romney Said It Was "Silly" To Suggest Job Growth Turn Around The Day He Got Elected Governor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArRj-dQXX3Y

[Montana5]

I don't think this issue will matter when it is said and done. What does really matter to so many of us who are looking for a viable alternative and a solution to the many problems facing this country is that the Republicans (and Romney) have no plan or at least not one they can articulate. They have given us nada....zip.....zero in terms od specificity to their plans for recovery. They are just "anti" this and "anti" that. Romney doesn't remind me so much of Nixon but rather more of George W. Bush. I'm not going there again. I suspect most of us aren't.

[MojitoMamma]

I'd just like to know how much money Mitt is hiding overseas. I'd like to know how much money he made when he closed down those factories and outsourced American jobs overseas. All of his Blood Money should be subject to income taxes or capital gains taxes. I for one, as a member of the soon to be extinct Middle Class, would like to know how much taxes he's avoided paying. When he evades income taxes, everybody else has to pay.