Romney launches character offensive against Obama

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

(CBS News) BOSTON - The Romney campaign on Friday launched a character offensive against President Obama and his allies, arguing that a recent ad by a pro-Obama super PAC crosses a line and diminishes the office of the presidency.

The ad from Priorities USA Action, which had not yet run as of Friday, insinuates that presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney was indirectly responsible for a woman's death from cancer. Eric Ferhnstrom, a senior adviser to Romney, accused the Obama campaign of lying to the public about the ad.

"They've gone from what started as petty distortions and untruths to unbelievable exaggerations that diminish the office of the president and insult the American people," Fehrnstrom told reporters during a briefing at Romney's Boston headquarters. "I don't think a world champion limbo dancer could get any lower than the Obama campaign right now."

The Priorities USA Action ad tells the story of steelworker Joe Soptic, who lost his job and health insurance when the plant he worked at was closed by Bain Capital, the company Romney founded and used to run. Soptic said his wife died of cancer because she was uninsured and put off doctor visits. But fact checkers said she was not diagnosed until five years after the plant closed, and there was no evidence Romney had anything to do with her death.

Obama campaign officials initially said they did not know the specifics of the story. But after it was reported that Soptic had appeared in a previous Obama campaign ad and the campaign had shared the story of his wife with reporters back in May, the president's team was forced to backtrack.

Fehrnstrom argued that by endorsing the message of the ad, Obama has "squandered one of the most vital attributes he (had), which is he was a different kind of politician who was going to change that state of our politics."

To reinforce its new theme, the Romney campaign released a new ad called "America Deserves Better." The ad opens with an ominous voice saying, "What does it say about a president's character when his campaign tries to use the tragedy of a woman's death for political gain?" The campaign did not say where the ad will run or how much money is being spent on it.

The Obama campaign dismissed the criticism as "faux outrage" and hypocrisy. "Mitt Romney won the Republican primary only by tearing down each of his opponents with ruthlessly negative campaigning, including ads funded by outside allies," campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said in a statement. "His campaign has questioned whether the president understands what it is to be American, attacked his patriotism, and is currently running an ad that a former president and authors of the welfare-to-work legislation have called a flat-out lie. When the Romney campaign finally reaches the high ground, we look forward to greeting them there."

[Maerzie]

Character offense?? By a guy who outsourced our JOBS to foreign sweatshop countries and then asks Obama about jobs and the economy?? How hilarious! The SAME guy who lives his every breath thinking of how he can evade moire taxes and lie about his residency?? And who is so ASHAMED of his tax returns that he is embarrassed to let the American voters see what a cheap, selfish GREEDY thing he REALLY is?? Give the REAL Americans a break, TRAITOR! Run for President of your REAL countries, China, India, and the Cayman Islands!! What a HYPOCRITE!! UNBELIEVABLE!!

[mkbljp]

Maerzie. please give me a break. you ask for Romney's tax returns which by the way he has presented all that he is required, I want to know the following from barry. In addition he has spent MILLIONS of dollars to prevent the public from seeing this information

1. Occidental College records
2. Columbia College records
3. Columbia Thesis paper
4. Harvard College records
5. Selective Service Registration
6. SSN from the State of Connecticut even though never a resident of the state
7. Medical records
8. Illinois State Senate schedule
9. Illinois State Senate records
10. Law practice client list
11. Certified copy of original Birth Certificate
12. Singed Embossed paper Certificate of Birth
13. Baptism record
14. Why Michelle Obama can no longer practice law (found out that answer, she voluntarily gave it up instead of being in 'trouble' for insurance fraud)
15. Why barry can no longer practice law (the reason he lost his law license - know that one too, he gave it up voluntarily for lying on his law application - say it isn't so)
16. Why Michelle Obama has 22 assistants when other First Ladies had 1 or 2, AND a personal dog trainer for their dog.
17. How he received "Foreign Student aid" as a student
18. Used __??__ country's "passport" when traveling to Pakistan.
19. What was the deal with retzko so that retzko could donate over 750K to barry's campaign using the 'sliver' of property transaction?

You talk about outsourcing; do you know where the obama stimulus went? 79% of the 2.1 billion dollar stimular went overseas. However there was 500 million that went to solyndra which of course went bankrupt right after receiving the money - and oh by the way obama knew they were in trouble before giving them the money. If you really do your research you will find the companies within the U.S. that received money were his buddies, bundlers and those he had to pay back. please before you talk about Romney you need to look at your buddy. While I am on a roll, IF he had a chance of being re elected, this is what he plans on doing to you, me and everyone else. He will conducting his own "New Deal"-style overhaul of the economy replete with the creation of a National Infrastructure Development Bank to oversee government control of the financial system; a massive, government-run jobs program to coincide with "paycheck fairness"; full amnesty for illegal aliens; de-funding of the U.S. military while channeling Pentagon money to "clean" energy initiatives; a new, multi-billion dollar "green" stimulus; and implementing Obamacare in measures nearly impossible to reverse. Yep if this is what you want, you probably need to move to cuba, france, bolivia or russia. They have the type of government you want. I for one do not.

[nygurl1]

mk - you are a real jerk. Most of that is NOYB and the rest you don't accept, so why do you think your continual lying will accomplish anything different?

Unlike reps. the rest of us can think for ourselves and don't need help from lying shills!

[joinamerica]

One of Obama's top bundlers, Jonathan Lavine, was in charge of GST Steel when the decision was made to close the plant. If we use Obama's tortured logic, Lavine killed Mr. Soptic's wife and therefore by extension Obama is really the guilty party.

Beyond this obvious problem with the left's "argument" (well, guilt by innuendo) is the flat out dishonesty. I've had it.

[nygurl1]

Obama never said that! The stupid SUPER PAC did.
The president is not allowed to say or do anything directly with a SUPER PAC! So he had nothing to do with that ad!

You are just a rep stooge.

[Kestrel88]

We know Mitt's character -- he's ashamed of himself because he acted unethically in his tenure at Bain, at the Olympics and as Mass.governor.

Stop attacking the president Mittens and come clean with your own past.

[hhandyman]

Did he kill the insurance that may of prolonged her life? Did he explore other methods of minor profitably for the company or take the short cut of selling assets to the demise of the company and add debts that were not covered to the point of bankruptcy? What was done to save the business and get a small profit rather than take out the short cut method of lining a pocket with cash while destroying the value of a company as well as its 401k program by appropriating its cash value trading it for what would become worthless stock. While the ad did NOT say he Killed the wife of the employee it did show callus towards employees and lack of concern for honest profit rather than the large profit it took in the destruction of the company which is Immoral at best. It is better to make a small profit and keep people working than sell the assets bankrupt the company and leave hundreds in dire states of life.

[gridleakbias]

I guess you don't know that Romney was no longer at Bain when this man lost his job. His wife died five years after Romney left Bain. His wife had her own insurance thru her job for two years after Romney left Bain. She lost her health insurance after she got hurt and left her job. In short, the whole story is a lie. The company closed because it was losing serious money. You are long on opinions and short on facts.

[nygurl1]

It has already been shown that mitty was still with Bain when it happened.

[nearl451]

"People in glass houses......"

[joinamerica]

How can anyone who supports Mr. Obama - if they have ever been in a position of responsibility, if they taught their children to tell the truth, if they were honest in business dealings and were a good and loyal friend - possibly continue to support President Obama?

Mr. Obama was elected saying things like, he would be President for not red states or blue states but 'the United States', he would close Guantanamo, he would pass Healthcare 'only' on a non-partisan vote, if he couldn't bring us a good economy he would be a one-term President, he would be transparent, etc.

Fool me once, shame on you.

I certainly hope Mr Romney begins to fight fire with fire. He has no choice now.

[greenlantern1]

Our only convicted AG was Nixon's first, John Mitchell!
Law and order?
Our only convicted Secretary of the Veteran's Bureau was Charles Forbes!
He was sentenced, to Leavenworth, for stealing vet money intended for hospitals!
Harding was president.
Harding care?
Was it in the national interest for Albert Fall to let BIG OIL drill at the US NAVAL OIL RESERVE at Teapot Dome?
Harding was president.

[nearl451]

A superpac ran the commercial. Not Obama.

Stop the phony balony.

[RollotheNorman]

Willard impugning Obamas character? Really? BWAHHAAAAHHAAAAHHAAAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHHAHHHAHHHA!
The Corporate Slickster himself impugning Obama's character?
BWAHHAAAAHHAAAAHHAAAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHHAHHHAHHHA! OMFGIGTDL!

[Thinkbeforeyouwrite]

Over 16 presidential campaigns, the first one to usually cry "foul" in regard to attacks is the side that is losing. As long as you're on top, why call attention to the negativity. It doesn't help you. The way we elect our President has been awful for many, many years.
Obama needs to be positive now and highlight his achievements. (Yes, I know some of you don't think he has any. LOL So what else is new?

[occupy_cbs]

"The ad from Priorities USA Action, which had not yet run as of Friday"




=====
smoker: "Hmm lets look at the results from the Priority ad that everyone is discussing. The ad hit the media about 3 days ago...."
=====




Hey smoker, your reading comprehension doesn't match the reality of the situation, so it seems your hatred and partisanship is surely stronger. It appears it's making you sick!

Hint: The ad hasn't run yet, and being in a swing state, we see all the ads unfortunately, and believe me, it has not run yet!


BTW, even the fox poll has Obama +7 against romney from yesterday! LOL!

[occupy_cbs]

Besides smoker, every single romney ad takes Obama's words out of context!

[occupy_cbs]

Oh, my mistake smoker -- it's the CNN poll from yesterday that has Obama +7 against romney, and the fox poll from yesterday that has Obama +9 against romney! LOL!

[navymom21]

He better be careful - if he calls for a character showdown, he's going to lose. Romney IS a character; however, he has none. The male version of Sarah Palin!