Obama: Romney is "very disciplined"

AP Photo

(CBS News) President Obama has plenty of criticism for Mitt Romney's world view, but he has at least a couple nice things to say about his GOP challenger: He's disciplined and faithful.

"He strikes me as somebody who is very disciplined," Mr. Obama said in an interview with Time magazine White House correspondent Michael Scherer on Aug. 21. "And I think that that is a quality that obviously contributed to his success as a private-equity guy."

Scherer asked the president to list what he admired about Romney, aside from Romney's family or his work on health care reform as governor of Massachusetts.

Along with praising Romney's discipline, Mr. Obama said of his rival, "I think he takes his faith very seriously. And as somebody who takes my Christian faith seriously, I appreciate that he seems to walk the walk and not just be talking the talk when it comes to his participation in his church."

The president then went on to articulate the ways in which he believes his economic philosophy differs from Romney's.

"The fundamental difference between Governor Romney and myself, aside from some of our life experiences, I think is really a matter of how do you grow an economy that is strong and healthy over the long term," he said. "And when you look at the history of this country, when we've done best it's been when everybody did well -- when the middle class was strong, when wages and incomes were keeping up with the cost of living, when the doors of opportunity were widening, when we were giving more people a quality education, when as a country we were willing to make investments in things like science and research that any individual enterprise wouldn't find profitable. That's when we do well."

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Mr. Obama told Scherer that in addition to getting the nation's fiscal house in order, there are a handful of other big issues he expects to be addressed in the next four years.

"I think we can get immigration reform done. The time is right for it," he said. "We used to have bipartisan support for it. That will continue to be a top priority for me."

He also said Washington should be able to make "a lot more progress" when it comes to energy policy. On top of that, he said the government should focus on rebuilding infrastructure and government reform.

The president said that if he is re-elected, he expects Republicans to cooperate with him more.

"I believe that in a second term, where Mitch McConnell's imperative of making me a one-term President is no longer relevant, they recognize that what the American people are looking for is for us to get things done," he said. "So my expectation is that there will be some popping of the blister after this election."

[pnarayanan]

Most of the folks from both political spectrum who have commented here are missing the picture here. I understand, one side believes Obama was given a bad hand to begin with and an obstructionist Republican congress and so he could not get his agenda of economic progress and tax fairness through the legislative branch. The other side thinks that Obama is not one of us, is a socialist, not a christian, etc.

In this interview with Time Magazine, Obama has provided the common courtesy due to his opponent and praised Romney for his success and his public charity work, etc. So, people, take the news for what it is, and not throw mud on the other side.

[ludvig1-2009]

Give the President a Congress to work with. Vote out the tea party nutcakes and all who took an oath of allegiance to Grover Norquist rather than take an oath for the betterment of the country.

[seabass6251]

Allegiance to Grover Norquist or allegiance to the American people to quit taxxing them to death?

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

by Thinkbeforeyouwrite August 30, 2012 9:01 PM EDT
He is Christian as it says in the article

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Yep. Every Christian accidentally says "my Muslim faith".

I swear, the shills on each side are really just apologists for people who don't deserve such.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

by obwan222
Within five seconds of slipping he corrects himself and says Christian faith.

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SO?

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

Howdy there, lbnj!

I'm really against a president sharing that kind of crap, honestly, and don't see why the nation cares about a president's religious "beliefs".

Heck - two people sitting in the same pew in the same church probably disagree on many aspects of their own religion. It's not like any religious label is accurate nor consistent, imo.

[TimeToEvolve]

The Republicons are a truly disgusting bunch of radical extremists plain and simple. From starting wars for oil to robbing the poor to pay the rich, they are ugly, ugly people.

I think they have no part of the brain that control compassion and common sense. It is how they can say that they care about people while starting wars, cutting aid to women and children and the poor while they go sailing their yachts to their tax havens in the Cayman Islands. How rich and greedy can you be and still be human?

[hypnotoad72]

Yes, decency is nice - but, as history over the last 3 years has shown, the GOP will not return the compliments.

But "Faithful"?

To whom?

The middle and working classes in this country?

Why do I think "South Park" will do a redo of their Election 2008 special, showing both parties working together behind the scenes? Not that I would take that disgusting cartoon seriously, but still... they made the claim...

[Smilestoo]

Unfortunately the religious claim will do Romney in.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/catholic-priest-rev-benedict-groeschel-defends-child-sex/story?id=17114892#.UD_oSY59nHh

[rgoyalk]

Well said. The NOP (the No Party) hasn't uttered one single solitary word that could be called complimentary. When Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, not one repub from its leadership complimented him. Instead, the GOP asked'What did Obama do to deserve it'? The radicals and extremists within the party have called Obama as Hitler, a communist, a socialist, a muslim, an Arab, a witch doctor, a satan, and the list goes on. Shameful behaviour for a national party. Evem elementary school children behave better.

[tafhdyd]

I would agree on that one. He has to be disciplined to be able to lie and flip-flop like he does and still keep a straight face.

[TimeToEvolve]

That means Mitt Robbed Me is a good minion of the Republicon brain. He does what he is ordered without having to think for himself. Use the Fox Keeps You Really Stupid Channel bullet points and have no plans or substance behind it. Robbed Me is a good boy! Good boy! Good boy! Now sit!

[flyingkite]

Obama take his christian faith seriously? The Gospel according to Obama?

[Thinkbeforeyouwrite]

Oh, for crying out loud, do you have to be this way or is self-discipline not in your repertoire of behaviors? The man is talking about his faith. I am not Mormon and will not vote for Romney but I have the ability to accept and respect what he says about his faith. Why can't you be big enough to do the same for Obama? Have we lost all civility in the country?

[ginevsky]

Thanks President Obama for your decency

[TimeToEvolve]

For a right wing, extremist, radical, Wall Street plastic parasitic puppet like Robbed Me that is very nice of our esteemed and successful President to lie like that.