Political Hotsheet
By

Brian Montopoli /

CBS News/ August 20, 2012, 2:25 PM

Obama: Attacks on Romney not "out of bounds"

President Barack Obama speaks in the White House briefing room in Washington, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012.

President Barack Obama speaks in the White House briefing room in Washington, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012.

/ AP Photo
Updated 2:58 p.m. Eastern Time

(CBS News) President Obama said Monday that his campaign's criticisms of Mitt Romney and other Republicans are not "out of bounds," arguing that it is the Romney campaign that has crossed the line with false attacks on him.

At his first news conference since June 19, Mr. Obama was asked by CBS News' Nancy Cordes if he was comfortable with the tone of his campaign. Cordes pointed to suggestions by the Obama campaign that there is something problematic with Romney's unreleased tax returns, the suggestion that he might have committed a felony, and an ad from a pro-Obama super PAC linking Romney to the death of a steelworker's wife

Mr. Obama disputed the claim that his campaign had called Romney "a felon," as Cordes had put it. (Here's what deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said: "Either Mitt Romney, through his own words and his own signature was misrepresenting his position at Bain to the SEC, which is a felony. Or, he was misrepresenting his position at Bain to the American people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments. And if that's the case, if he was lying to the American people, then that's a real character and trust issue that the American people need to take very seriously.") The president added that he is stressing "sharp differences between myself and Mr. Romney" on the campaign trail, pointing to substantive differences on Wall Street reform, the health care law and tax policy.

"Now, you know, if you look at the overall trajectory of our campaign, and the ads that I have approved and are produced by my campaign, you'll see that we point out sharp differences between the candidates, but we don't go out of bounds," he said. "And when it comes to releasing taxes, that's a precedent that was set decades ago, including by Mr. Romney's father. And for us to day that it makes sense to release your tax returns, as I did, as John McCain did, as Bill Clinton did, as the two President Bushes did, I don't think is in any way out of bounds."

He added: "I think that is what the American people would rightly expect, is a sense that, particularly when we're going to be having a huge debate about how we reform our tax code and how we pay for the government that we need, I think people want to know that, you know, everybody has been playing by the same rules, including people who are seeking the highest office in the land. This is not an entitlement, being president of the United States, this is a privilege, and we've got to put ourselves before the American people to make our case."

Romney has released his 2010 tax returns and an estimate of his 2011 returns. Democrats want him to release at least five years of returns, and some have suggested the reason he is not doing so is because he did not pay taxes in previous years.

Later, the president said that Romney's tax records are "relevant information, particularly when we're going into a time when we're going to have to make tough choices."

"This isn't sort of overly personal here, guys, this is pretty standard stuff," he said. "I don't think we're being mean by asking him to do what every other presidential candidate has done."

Cordes also pointed to the super PAC ad specifically, and asked Mr. Obama if he would repudiate it.

"I don't think that Governor Romney is somehow responsible for the death of the woman that was portrayed in that ad," he said. "But keep it mind, this is an ad that I didn't approve, I did not produce, and as far as I can tell has barely run. I think it ran once."

The president then compared that ad to a spot from the Romney campaign that falsely attacks Mr. Obama over welfare.

"You've got Governor Romney creating as a centerpiece of his campaign this notion that we're taking the work requirement out of welfare, which every single person here who's looked at it says is patently false," he said. "Right?"

"Not only are his super PACs running millions of dollars worth of ads making this claim, Governor Romney himself is approving this and saying it on the stump," he continued. "So the -- you know, the contrast, I think, is pretty stark. You know, they can run the campaign that they want. But the truth of the matter is you can't just make stuff up. That's one thing you learn as president of the United States. You get called into account. And I feel very comfortable with the fact that when you look at the campaign we're running, we are focused on the issues and the differences that matter to working families all across America, and that's exactly the kind of debate the American people deserve."

Speaking in New Hampshire Monday, Romney and running mate Paul Ryan claimed the president is running a "sad and disappointing" dishonest campaign.

"It seems that the first victim of an Obama campaign is the truth," Romney said. He insisted that the president's claims that he will raise taxes on middle class Americans are false despite independent analyses that his tax plan would have to raise taxes if it is to be revenue neutral, as Romney has promised. 

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
168 Comments Add a Comment
linkicon reporticon emailicon
TimeToEvolve says:
The fact that radical wackos like RobMe and Lyin Ryan, who believe in the fake and failed "free market" can even sniff elected office is a commentary on just how stupid and ignorant Americans are.

These guys have gone so far out to right field, they are not even on the same field. They have made it quite clear all the care about is rich white men. And they hate your sorry working butt just as much as they hate mine.
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
jmn122736 says:
by chevyhotrod August 21, 2012 9:00 AM EDT
Someones, anyone's personal tax return has nothing to do with the future of The United States of America Jew hater.
I can't believe CBS allows you to continue to post your hate.
""It was Governor Romney's father who pioneered the release of tax returns when he ran for president, gave out 12 years of tax returns"

Did Governor Romney's father win when he ran for President?

Answer: No he did not, so who cares what his father did or didn't do. This is a distraction from the real issues, plain and simple and the American voters see it for what it is.
--------------------------------------------------
Hey Chevy; are you saying that Romney's father LOST because he DID turn over 12 years of his tax records and THAT is why Romney refuses to release more than ONE (so far) in this election cycle?
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
jmn122736 says:
Lets take a look at some documented facts;

In the last 32 years there have been 3 Republican administrations, Reagan, Bush1 and Bush2, with a total of 20 years in office, and 2 Democratic administrations, Clinton and Obama, with a total 12 years in office.
Now lets examine the annual national-debt-outstanding record over those 32 years:

Reagan's first fiscal year budget went into effect on October 1, 1981 and his last fiscal year budget ended on September 30, 1989

Reagan TRIPLED the debt in 8 years from $997 Billion to, $2.857 Trillion
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Bush1's first fiscal year budget went into effect on October 1, 1989 and his last fiscal year budget ended on September 30, 1993

Bush 1 inherited the Reagan tax cuts and spending policies but managed to slow the Rapidly increasing debt somewhat, by actually raising taxes. The debt only increased by $1.554 Trillion in 4 years; from $2.857 Trillion to $4,411 Trillion
-------------------------------------------------------------
Clinton's first fiscal year budget went into effect on October 1, 1993 and his last fiscal year budget ended on September 30, 2001

Clinton increased the debt by $1.396 trillion in 8 years from $4,411 Trillion to $ 5,807 trillion.
Clinton further increased taxes as well as controlled spending, and slowed the debt increase to only $17 billion in 2000. HOWEVER; the debt would, almost certainly have increased more under Clinton, if bush1 had not already started putting the brakes on the spiraling debt. Stopping a rapid debt increase takes a lot of time AND budget changes including increasing revenue with tax increases and responsibly reducing spending.
------------------------------------------------------------
Bush2's first fiscal year budget went into effect on October 1, 2001 and his last fiscal year budget ended on September 30, 2009

Bush 2 increased the debt by $6.1 Trillion in 8 years from $5.807 trillion to $11,9 trillion.
Bush immediately cut taxes again and Drastically increased spending with unfunded programs and two unnecessary wars thereby creating the present economic and employment situation (widely referred to as the Bush/Cheney fiasco).
--------------------------------------------------------
Obama's first fiscal year budget went into effect on October 1, 2009 and his last fiscal year budget will not be proposed before October 1, 2012
Obama increased the debt by $4 Trillion (so far, 3 fiscal year budgets) in his first term from $11.9 Trillion to $15.9 Trillion as of July 22 2012. If budget deficits continue at the same pace; the debt will have increased by $5.3 Trillion by the end of Omaha's next fiscal year, on September 30, 2013

Obama inherited The Bush/Cheney fiasco, and by failing to raise taxes OR to allow the bush tax cuts to expire, the debt continues to spiral.

Judging from these DOCUMENTED records it is abundantly clear that the debt increase can be slowed or stopped ONLY by increasing taxes, along with controlled spending.

While President Obama has not raised income taxes he doesn't have any known tax-elimination plans, nor any voucher plans that would destroy Social Security and/or Medicare.
----------------------------------
In addition to destroying Social Security and Medicare with voucher plans, Governor Romney clearly plans to drastically cut income taxes and eliminate investment income tax altogether, (meaning he will virtually pay NO taxes in the future).

Based on PROVEN history, that can only mean one thing, TOTAL BANKRUPTCY in the very near future.
reply
goat5691 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Thank You, Thank You. We don't usually get such detailed info as you gave us.
linkicon reporticon emailicon
mikeonthebay says:
Obama has already accused Romney of killing a guy's wife, being a felon, being a tax cheat, being a money launderer, closing factories just to abuse families, being a draft dodger, torturing a dog, and assaulting a fellow student. The Occupy Wall Street movement is the best illustration to date of what President Barack Obama's America looks like. It is an America where the lawless, unaccomplished, ignorant and incompetent rule. It is an America where those who have sacrificed nothing pillage and destroy the lives of those who have sacrificed greatly.. The left is using any event as a distraction as it pursues the Saul Alinsky tactics of community organizing. Obama's game plan is to divide the community into the Haves and the Have Nots, make the Have Nots believe they are unjustly treated by the Haves, build resentment against the American social and economic system, use church congregations to mobilize street agitators, and lobby government for higher taxes and big-spending welfare programs in order to confiscate the wealth and power of the Haves and turn it over to the Have Nots.
reply
smirk5 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Too bad you've made all this up.
linkicon reporticon emailicon
infantryman1968 says:
Obama: Attacks on Romney not "out of bounds"


LOL!


I can't wait for the Reverend Write commercials to start.......
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
chevyhotrod says:
A conversation with Tom Brokaw, The Charlie Rose Show
Thursday, October 30, 2008

Three days before the 2008 Presidential election, Tom Brokaw & Charlie Rose Admit Know Nothing About Obama.

ROSE: I don't know what Barack Obama's worldview is.

BROKAW: No, I don't, either.

ROSE: I don't know how he really sees where China is.

BROKAW: We don't know a lot about Barack Obama and the universe of his thinking about foreign policy.

ROSE: I don't really know. And do we know anything about the people who are advising him?

BROKAW: Yeah, it's an interesting question.

ROSE: He is principally known through his autobiography and through very inspirational speeches.

BROKAW: Two of them! I don't know what books he's read.

ROSE: What do we know about the heroes of Barack Obama?

BROKAW: There's a lot about him we don't know.

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9330


And now, almost 4 years later we are beginning to see what Barack Obama's worldview is really is.

The American Main Stream Media has failed the American people.
Obama's America 2016

Love him or hate him, you don't know him.

Across the globe and in America, people in 2008 hungered for a leader who would unite and lift us from economic turmoil and war. True to America's ideals, they invested their hope in a new kind of president, Barack Obama. What they didn't know is that Obama is a man with a past, and in powerful ways that past defines him, who he is, how he thinks, and where he intends to take America and the world.

Based on the New York Times Bestseller by Dinesh D'Souza
From Gerald R. Molen, Producer of Academy Award Winning Best Picture Schindler's List

http://2016themovie.com/
reply
smirk5 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
A couple of millionaire inside-the-beltway villagers chumming around with each other and talking horse manure.
chevyhotrod replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
They use President Obama own words and his own writtings.

Is that what you are calling horse manure?
linkicon reporticon emailicon
venusvegasvada says:
100% Legal Pop Quiz!

In your own opinion-

Simply match one of the word lists you would most associate with a Party.

Easy right! Let's go!

Party "A" Republican Party
Party "B" Democratic Party

List "C"
Chastity
Temperance
Charity
Diligence
Patience
Kindness
Humility

List "D"
Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
Pride
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
chevyhotrod says:
by PSnoBS August 21, 2012 9:17 AM EDT
I'm sorry, but nobody who makes it to a presidential election is a moron. You can disagree with their positions all you want, but they are far from stupid people.

As for accompplishments:

1. Made pursuit of Bin Laden a priority after Bush dropped it.


100% complete lie, it was always a priority. The Navy Seal's are starting to tell the real story.

If it was not for enhanced interrogation techniques, we would have never gotten Bin Laden in the first place. Just ask Leo Panetta, President Obama's CIA Chief at the time and now Defense Secretary.

CIA Director Leon Panetta stomped on the White House's political script when he told Tuesday night's broadcast of NBC Nightly News that the waterboarding of jihadi detainees contributed information that led to the location and killing of Osama bin Laden.

"We had multiple series of sources that provided information with regards to this situation... clearly some of it came from detainees [and] they used these enhanced interrogation techniques against some of those detainees," he told NBC anchor Brian Williams.

When asked by Williams if water-boarding was part of the "enhanced interrogation techniques," Panetta simply said "that's correct."
reply
smirk5 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Bush must have thought Bin Laden was hiding out in Iraq. And, the information we got that led to Bin Laden was when the detainees that gave the information were no longer being waterboarded.
chevyhotrod replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
So, smirk know more the Leon Panetta now?

Not so smart are you. (BWT, not a question)

Learn who to read, comprehension is key.
See all 5 Replies
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Lizsys says:
The GOP thought they could swift boat Obama. They are wrong and shocked. They just can't believe how powerful and merciless the chicago machine is. They did exactly the same thing to past democrat candidates. And now they are whining. They can give it but can't take it.
reply
chevyhotrod replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
The Chicago way, America has come such a long way, have we not...lol

Please post any evidence that the GOP has accused any Democrat of killing someone's wife?

Will be waiting.

No more Hope and Change, it is now Conquer, Divide and Manipulate.
smirk5 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Silly hotrod,

No one accused Romney of killing anyone. You're just getting your panties in a bunch over nothing.
See all 5 Replies
linkicon reporticon emailicon
smirk5 says:
The Republican position of Mitt's taxes:
Romney isn't hiding anything. That's why you can't see his returns.
reply
chevyhotrod replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Obama isn't hiding anything, that is why you can't see his college transcripts or anything he wrote during his education process when he hung out and sought the association with socialist professors.

What does President Obama believe?

2016themovie.com

Film based on a New York Times Bestseller about President Barack Obama, by Dinesh D'Souza.

The truth shall set you free, love him or hate him, you don't know him.
smirk5 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Detroit is alive and Bin Laden is dead. We're not losing 750,000 jobs a month. The stock market is doing fine and not tanking. Obama was magna *** laude at Harvard and edited Harvard Law Review. He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Obama is better when he's asleep then you'll ever be at any time.
See all 168 Comments