Romney accuses Obama of "taking the work requirement out of welfare"

Updated 9:30 p.m. ET

(CBS News) ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - Mitt Romney on Tuesday accused President Obama of "taking the work requirement out of welfare," part of an escalating line of attack that also included a TV ad and a conference call with top Romney campaign allies.

Speaking to about 200 people at a precision-parts manufacturer in suburban Chicago, Romney offered praise for former Democratic President Bill Clinton, who worked with a Republican Congress to enact welfare reform.

"They reformed welfare not just to save money, more importantly, they reformed welfare to encourage people to work," Romney said, before pivoting to accuse Mr. Obama of trying to reverse the accomplishment. "That is wrong. If I'm president, I'll put work back in welfare."

New Romney ad hits Obama on welfare
Obama: Romney tax plan is "Robin Hood in reverse"
Priorities USA Action ad revives Bain attack

Romney is focusing on a memo issued in mid-July by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will allow states to apply for waivers from certain parts of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The move, sought by several states, is meant to allow states more flexibility in meeting the work requirement. "The Secretary is interested in approaches that seek to improve employment outcomes," the memo says.

The policy drew sharp criticism from several prominent Republicans, including Romney, who called it "completely misdirected" when it was announced more than three weeks ago. His campaign launched a full-out attack on the policy Tuesday, releasing a new ad that says "Under Obama's plan, you wouldn't have to work and wouldn't have to train for a job. They just send you your welfare check." Politifact rated the ad "pants on fire" the same day it appeared.

The Obama campaign maintains that the new HHS policy does not remove the work requirement. It called Romney's statements untrue and hypocritical and noted that some Republican-led states had sought the new waiver policy.

"The Obama administration, working with the Republican governors of states like Nevada and Utah, is giving states additional flexibility only if they move more people from welfare to work - not fewer," Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said in a statement emailed to reporters. She also noted that "as governor (of Massachussets), Mitt Romney petitioned the federal government for waivers that would have let people stay on welfare for an indefinite period, ending welfare reform as we know it, and even created a program that handed out free cars to welfare recipients."

In 2005, Romney joined with 28 Republican governors to ask Congress for welfare waivers similar to those HHS authorized in July. "Increased waiver authority, allowable work activities, availability of partial work credit, and the ability to coordinate state programs are all important aspects of moving recipients from welfare to work," the governors wrote in their letter to Congress.

The eruption over welfare led to rival conference calls featuring top allies and aides of each campaign. Jonathan Burks, Romney's deputy policy director, echoing the campaign's new TV ad, said the Obama administration has "essentially made this into a blank check from the federal government to the states, with no work requirements at all."

John Podesta, who was Bill Clinton's chief of staff in the White House, said on the Obama campaign call that the Romney TV ad is "completely false." Obama is trying to administer the welfare program with the same goal as Clinton had, "which is to give people the dignity of a job," Podesta said. He added that he spoke with Clinton before the call and "he completely agrees with my analysis."

[HarryOrielly]

Mitt U R makin the LIBERALS real mad- They are gonna get U- and SMEAR U as a RACIST- an HONEST man has no business in politics- Criminals like Obama who spent millions in hiding their past history are the politicians of the future of America- Obama even surrendered his law license to avoid investigation- Obama is Charismatic & likable and always seeks the spotlight but is corrupt to the bone. He always says what people want to hear & we Americans were proud to elect a black man as our president because it shows the world what we are all about. But while Obama preaches to the poor, he is owned by the rich. The only president to hide his past history at the cost of millions. Obama leads America into a new unprecedented era of corruption

[HarryOrielly]

Obama is charismatic-well spoken & likable and like a slick con-fidence man always seeks the spotlight but is corrupt to the bone. As a master con-man he always says what people want to hear and we Americans were proud to elect a black man as our president because it shows the world what we are all about. But while Obama preaches to the poor, he is owned by the rich. The only president to hide his past history at the cost of millions. He even surrendered his law license to avoid investigation. So what could be so bad that millions was spent to hide? Maybe a few drug busts & arrest records? We Americans will never know (probably far worse) because our news-media is closed & controlled and refuse to print anything about Obama's past history or his IN-ELIGIBILITY to be president. Obama leads America into a new unprecedented era of corruption.

[ge556]

What a liar. Romney has no scruples.

[TheWrongM]

"The Obama campaign maintains that the new HHS policy does not remove the work requirement. It called Romney's statements untrue and hypocritical and noted that some Republican-led states had sought the new waiver policy."

You had to wait until the 6th paragraph to mention that? You're afraid to commit to one side or the other of this "controversy"? Weak!

[nancy_naive]

Smarmy... the dude is just smarmy.

[obiden08]

Romney has been labled an outright LIAR this time. There are no plans by the Obama administration to take the work portion out of the welfare program nor has it even been discussed.
First it would defeat Obamas policy of education and training for displaced workers from the Bush administrations massive 7.5 million jobs losses in 2008.
Second each individual state Under clinton's plan is responsible to administer the welfare to work program and many have stopped doing so (Red States) claiming they don't have the funds to keep doing it.

Romney is getting so desperate because he sees his numbers sinking like a rock that he will do anything including paying Sheldon Adelson and his Mafia hitmen to put a contract out on Obama so he can win the race.

[hhandyman]

I challenge Mitt to live for one month with no income beyond a minimum wage income per person in his family in a one room per person plus kitchen and living room area pay rent basic living costs including all co pays for health care and survive without borrowing a penny from his other accounts credit cards or other possible stipends. limit his free meals from lobby groups that want his attention and see if he can survive on Middle class means today with current costs.

[marychgo]

Gee, Mitt, don't you think it might be a bit difficult for someone receiving TANF benefits to find a job at a time when there are millions of other Americans ALSO looking for a job? Do you suppose that might be why governors -- including Republican governors -- are asking for waivers?

[nearl451]

I have seen some truth stretching in my life, but this abject lying really takes the cake.

What the Romney camp only got half the memo?

[rayward73446]

My question is where are the jobs for the people on welfare? The real solution is to have a program from congress to create jobs and incentives for the wealthy to start hiring.

Tax the wealthy heavily and offer them small tax credits for each job they create to reduce their tax burden. That way they will get off their butts and put their stockpiles of cash back into the economy. With the stipulation that the created jobs are to be well paying, say at least twice the minimum wage, with benefits.

Corporations and wealthy individuals are setting on over 4 trillion bucks, (that we know about) it's time they got off their tightfisted ways and start growing the economy. They have received large tax breaks for several years but have not created jobs. Recent history shoots down the GOP theory about job creators and that higher taxes for them will hurt job creation, because they have the tax cuts but didn't create any jobs.
If the GOP and Romney were really worried about welfare then where are the jobs that they promised when they were last elected? They haven't done a single thing to create any jobs. In fact they have ignored the problem entirely. But they managed to pass a "go no where bill" to eradicate Obama care 32 times. And they want us to vote for them? No way, not ever! Where is their commitment to the nation, their following of their oath of their offices?

[tmn]

"Tax the wealthy heavily and offer them small tax credits for each job they create to reduce their tax burden. That way they will get off their butts and put their stockpiles of cash back into the economy. With the stipulation that the created jobs are to be well paying, say at least twice the minimum wage, with benefits."

What a truly GREAT idea. Rayward should be running for office!!