Romney ridicules Obama on 'change' remark

Mitt Romney campaigns at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Updated 11:07 PM ET

(CBS News) SARASOTA, Fla. - In his latest broadside against President Obama, Mitt Romney on Thursday characterized a remark by the president that "you can't change Washington from the inside" as an acknowledgment of weakness - a charge that Obama's campaign said was "wildly" out of context.

Appearing at a forum sponsored by the Spanish-language network Univision on the heels of Romney's earlier appearance, Obama reflected on his inability to change the tone in Washington.

"I think that I've learned some lessons over the last four years, and the most important lesson I've learned is that you can't change Washington from the inside, you can only change it from the outside," Obama said. "That's how I got elected, and that's how the big accomplishments like health care got done - [it] was because we mobilized the American people to speak out. That's how we were able to cut taxes for middle-class families."

Romney, campaigning in Sarasota, said that his rival "threw in the white flag of surrender again. He said he can't change Washington from inside, he can only change it from outside."

"Well, we are going to give him that chance in November -- he is going outside," Romney said. "I can change Washington; I will change Washington. We will get the job done from the inside. Republicans and Democrats will come together. He can't do it. His slogan was 'Yes we can.' His slogan now is 'No, I can't.'"

Obama campaign spokeswoman said Romney "is trying to take the heat off himself by taking the president's words wildly out of context."

"What the president said today is no different than what he has been saying for many years - that change comes from outside Washington, not inside," Smith said in a statement. "When Americans came together and stood up to special interests, we reformed health care, cut taxes for the middle class and put in new rules for Wall Street. And that's why we have elections. Mitt Romney apparently doesn't believe that change comes from the American people."

Obama, after making his remark at the Univision forum, went on to say: "Something that I'd really like to concentrate on in my second term is being in a much more constant conversation with the American people so that they can put pressure on Congress to help move some of these issues forward."

By Thursday evening the Obama campaign was circulating a new web video that juxtaposed his full statement to Univision with Romney's secretly recorded remarks at spring fundraiser that 47 percent of the country is dependent on government handouts and his job is not to worry about them. The video closes with text asking, "Do you want a president who thinks change comes from you? Or one who has totally written you off?"

[OldSavant]

A wise man knows that if you want to do something unpopular with voter, Create a diversion.Get voters thinking about something else, Like 'Birthers, or lock the republicans out of "ObamaCare Vote" and then blame them for your failures. Rule by Mandates from AirForce one.Set the Record for use of AF1 at $119,000 an hour while I can only wonder was he pushing his plan for Globalization. He wants to Give Cairo, 470 million Dollars, Wait a minute, are we broke or not. Add Trillions to National Debt.He's a politician folks not a President. Let's prove to the world that only in America can a failure be re-elected. And yes I gotta say it,
God Help use.

[EricYoung03102]

The whole premise of the Obama presidency is imploding. Can Obama go give a speech in Cairo ? -NO
Has there been a more unqualified president than Obama? -NO
Would any other president get away with just telling us to "be patient" -NO
Will we be stuck with Obamacare ? YES
Will the US Dollar be destryed with another 4 years of this recklesness? YES
Will the middle class (and not just the rich) END UP WITH HUGE TAX INCREASES ON ACCOUNT OF OBAMA'S RECKLESS SPENDING ? YES! YES! yes!

Let's not be suckers America !!!!

[bbglow]

Where are those promised details about the economy and employment?

[yerhumps]

Big deal. Does Romney think that trivialities like this will win him the White House? Especially after insulting nearly half the American population? What a sad, desperate little pissant.

[Think3Times]

That joke you made last night Repubs, about the snake and the lawyer..

In my area it went:

If you see a Lawyer and an Accordion on the road which one do you run over first?

The Accordion; Business before Pleasure.

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

LOL

[bbglow]

Suggestion: Republicans should nominate Norquist, at least WE would then be voting for the person who actually runs the country.

[Think3Times]

Oh my how this thread has grown since last night, and even Dan came back to provide target practice for the others, thanks Dan!

Should I bother to read through the 700 comments that have arrived since I last looked?

[Lindag20]

Since Mortar isn't here to entertain us, I need to attend to a few things. It was fun, see you.

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

Wonder if he realizes just how much he's missed when he's gone? ; )

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

Luckily, he's never gone for more than a 10-day stretch ;)

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

I was certainly a bit baffled by the change thing, but it does make sense in one way:

Congress will never, ever, give up their perks, their salaries, and their lobbyists, no matter how much it screws the nation. They are acting in what they see as "self defense".

And we've seen there has been little change from within the gridlock Congress seems intent on.

[Lindag20]

It would certainly help if lobbying was illegal, but I don't see that happening.

[Think3Times]

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says:

Politicians and diapers need to be changed for the same reason.

[bbglow]

As one Republican campaign veteran said, "I felt like when I was watching that (47%) video that it was the first time I'd ever seen the real Mitt Romney."

More and more of US feel that way ...

[Lindag20]

Very true.