Obama, Romney not letting up on "you didn't build that"

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GettyImages

(CBS News) To say Mitt Romney's recent attacks criticizing President Obama for saying "If you've got a business, you didn't build that" have struck a chord, that might be a bit of an understatement. And both campaigns are digging in their heels, with the president launching an aggressive defense, while Romney's camp continues to go full throttle on the attack.

Romney himself is traveling overseas but his supporters are fanning out over 12 battleground states Wednesday, holding 24 events with local elected officials and business owners challenging the president's statement.

Meantime, the Obama campaign has stepped up its defense, launching a wide-scale response featuring direct, repeated responses from the president himself at events and in a new television ad

"Those ads, taking my words about small business out of context, they're flat out wrong. Of course Americans build their own businesses," Mr. Obama said in his new TV ad, referring to Romney's ads attacking him. "What I said was is that we need to stand behind them as America has."

At fundraisers Monday and Tuesday, Mr. Obama also addressed the issue. "Earlier today, Gov. Romney was at it again," Obama said to boos, at a fundraiser in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday. "Knowingly twisting my words to suggest I don't value small business. Although, when folks like omit entire sentences of what you said, they start kind of splicing and dicing, you may have gone a little over the edge there. But there's actually a real choice there."

A campaign spokesperson Wednesday rejected the idea that they are worried about the impact of the Romney attacks, but said they learned a "cautionary tale" from the Romney campaign, which did not respond to Obama-launched attacks about Bain Capital, not to let attacks go unanswered.

The Obama campaign also says they are holding numerous events in battleground states countering the Romney campaign's efforts.

"We are pushing back on this aggressively," an Obama campaign spokesperson said, calling it a "robust" response.

[nygurl1]

I think he's dumfounded by your stubitchiness.
I am.

[Standyourground01]

Odumbo spent the taxpayers money to bail out gm and the criminal unions,if anyone needs to be thanked,it's the taxpayers,not the government.You can thank odumbo for extorting money out of people that work and giving it to people that don't................thanks former president odumbo!!!!!

[Standyourground01]

I would like to take this time to thank the taxpayers,not the government,for paying for and building the infrastructure that I use to move my products.Odumbass didn't build a damn thing and he can't take back what he said,he is a filthy commie and if you didn't already know this,you do now.

[nygurl1]

You must be getting a very large payment from the robbugs to lie so specifically.

[nygurl1]

Just because you don't have the intelligence to understand what he said, I don't understand why you find it necessary to call him, and us names, and make us dislike you and your keepers!
If you are trying to persuade us to vote your way, this will never work!
And you will definitely change the thinking of your people.
So thanks for that.

[Maerzie]

Taking portions of a comment that has been aired on every network several time out of context to distort it, simply makes Romney look like a desperate adolescent fool, which is why he is polling so poorly.

[Kestrel88]

Another day in the Romney campaign, another blatant lie.

Howbout those tax returns, Mitt? Oh, and when did you leave Bain again?

What's that? The SLC Olympic records are destroyed or missing?? There's no record of you being governor of Mass.??

""We've given you people all you need to know," Ann Romney, July 19, 2012.

[Marcsist]

How many years of Hussein's tax returns have you seen? I won't even mention his birth certificate :-) I can't believe anyone would even compare them finanbcially...Obama doesn't have a clue how to run a business. We're the laughing stock of the world right now!

[nygurl1]

Not him marc - but you.....

[sjc_1]

Try setting up your business in the middle of the desert, no roads, no ports, no power, no educated work force...welcome to the third world. It takes a society to provide the structure to create a successful business. Nothing happens all by itself in a vacuum.

[fiberglass3]

They still don't get it SJC. And your are right. Build a business without roads, telephones, trucking companies, internet, or power.
Education and money also help.

To be republican't and vote NO to everything and still collect a check, they didn;t built that did they?

[sjc_1]

It is both, it is US and ME. I don't see the conflict other than with those that believe they are totally self made and never had a bit of help from anyone. That is not only arrogant, but delusional.

[wfw3536]

How sad Obama just doesn't "man up" and admit he believe everything revolves around big government, and doesn't believe in what most Americans believe in, our own individual drive and initiative.

[rmonroe401]

I guess facts STILL do not matter to the Republican Party. No wonder they are about to become extinct. I know I am sick and tired of paying for Republican politicians who DO NOTHING and collect a fat check. Talk about sucking off the government teet. They are pathetic human beings. I am being kind calling them humans I guess.

[nygurl1]

Nuts - one calls him a Commie, another a Marxist, then he's a socialist.
None of them knows what those words mean but they figure no one else does either.
And they accuse us of calling names!

[whozwat]

Who let John Galt into the campaign?

[oldsoftee]

Hmmmm... No let up on distortion and downright lies, huh? Sounds about right for the Republicans.

[Yeah_Its_Me]

I heard how Romney was heavily investing in a company that was all over outsourcing manufacturing jobs back in 1998! No point in hiding behind the Olympics for that one...

[oldsoftee]

Hmmmm... No let up on distortion and downright lies, huh? Sounds about right for the Republicans.

[Marcsist]

Of course, don't listen to your ears! He clearly didn't say GOVERMENT IS WHY YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED! He said it...now own it!!!

[nygurl1]

Marc - why don't you try listening or reading (if you can read) the original statement with punctuation! Try real hard and you will see the truth.....But you won't.