Obama campaign releases first ad highlighting Romney's closed-door comments

(CBS News) The Obama campaign has created its first ad that highlights Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's controversial comments, caught on camera at a closed-door fundraiser earlier this year, disparaging the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay federal income taxes.

The ad will begin airing Monday in the battleground state of Ohio, and Obama campaign officials say they may air it in other states in the coming days. Governor Romney embarks on a bus tour in Ohio on Wednesday.

In the ad, a male narrator starts by saying, "Mitt Romney attacked 47 percent of Americans who pay no income tax -- including veterans, elderly, the disabled."

The ad then shows a short clip of Romney telling donors at a $50,000-a-head fundraiser in Boca Raton, Florida: "My job is not to worry about those people."

"Doesn't the President have to worry about everyone?" the narrator then asks. "Mitt Romney paid just 14.1% in taxes last year...He keeps millions in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands...He won't release his tax returns before 2010. Maybe instead of attacking others on taxes, Romney should come clean on his."

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The Obama campaign played it coy with reporters this week when asked whether it would be featuring Romney's caught-on-camera comments in campaign advertising, and now that the ad has been drawn up, the campaign won't say how large the ad buy is - in other words, how often the ad will be airing.

Priorities USA Action, the Democratic super PAC, has released its own ad featuring Romney's comments in Boca Raton, and that ad is going into rotation in six battleground states.

In response for a request for comment about the ad, Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul said: "President Obama's tax increases on middle class families will not make the next four years any better than the last four. Under President Obama's failed leadership, 23 million Americans are struggling for work with 46 million Americans on food stamps and more people in poverty than ever before. Mitt Romney has a plan for a stronger middle class that will lower tax rates across the board and jumpstart economic growth creating 12 million jobs."

[momof4greatkids]

We need change. Economy has not improved. Still plant closings,layoffs. We need to get our budget under control. If it were you or me, we could not live this way.The government has alot of waste in its departments. Schools are in disrepair and out of control. Teachers cannot discipline anymore in the class room and the children know it. Lets get back to the balanced budget. We need to investigate why President Obama is taking money from obama.com which is run by chinese man. Also when people from overseas donate under 150.00they do not have to be recorded. It is illegal in the first place to take any funds from out of the United States.

[robert1129]

" Of all the proosterous assumptions of humanity over huanity, nothing exceeds the criticism made on the habits of the poor, and middle class by the well-housed the well-fed, the well-insured and the well-warmed" (Herman Melville in Harper Magazine 1864 (phasing altered slightly).

Romney and his people live on another planet and have no clue about how the non-rich folks live.

[VSethunya]

"Blessed are the poor" because they will see God. Quite a juxtaposition is that god is Romney.

[josephp5]

7luckysevens September 24, 2012 2:13 PM EDT

A smart money handler he is.
----------------------------------------------------------
You would probably be screaming "Traitor!" if it was a Democrat hiding his income overseas. But you are falling all over yourself to defend Romney's disgraceful behavior as some kind of genius money management.

Anyhow, this is not the kind of smarts that would help a President lead a country. Unlike a CEO, a President can't just lay off some people to improve the bottom line. A CEO is only responsible to his shareholders; a President has to work to improve the livelihoods of everyone. The talents of a "brilliant CEO money manager" don't apply very well to the requirements of a good President.

[johnpatrick1]

One has to be either arrogant or ignorant to support the very group of righ wing corrupted plutocrats who have been screwing the nation for the past 40 years with moronic wars and financial crimes which have only enriched them at the nation's tragic expense.
My error not only would one have to be arrogant or ignorant..one can actually be one of the fascist American rich....but then arrogant and ignorant also fits as well. Romney a real jerk.

[erasmus111]

All ya gotta do is look at the pictures above. Who looks more intelligent? That guy on the left doesn't look like he has a thought process going on in his head.

[sjc_1]

Alzheimer's is one possible explanation for why Mutt says SO many stupid things and then pretends nothing is wrong.

[erasmus111]

by louiville223 September 24, 2012 2:18 PM EDT
You mean the fly trap one with his mouth open on the right or the looking to the future on on the left?

They both have their mouth open, only the one on the right looks serious and like he's actually "thinking". The one on the left, his mouth looks slack and his eyes look vacant. I was going to say he looked kind of "retarded", but that wouldn't be nice, so I won't say that. : )

[clydealan2]

It is all about money. Those top 1% are doing all they can to protect the lowest tax rates for the wealthy and businesses ever. Anyone who is middle class and votes for these liars have been duped by their multimillion dollar campaign of deceit.

[RollotheNorman]

"by Mortarman_1SG29 September 24, 2012 12:57 PM EDT
Get rid of taxes on ALL income for EVERYONE.

Problem solved!"

Until your local warlord started demanding tribute.

[sjc_1]

Mitt's income was capital gains, so HE was one of the 47% that paid NO federal income tax. Ryan wants capital gains tax to be ZERO. The deficits would be larger, we all know where they will get the money, from the middle class and seniors.

[RollotheNorman]

"by Mortarman_1SG29 September 24, 2012 11:37 AM EDT
The rich dont pay taxes...ever."

And that seems to be A-OK with RepubliCON stooges.

[prm777]

So??? Mitt paid what was owed under the current tax code... the fact that most of his income was capital gains means that it was money that had already been taxed once and is therefore subject to a lower rate. And which of you liberals can compare to the nearly 33% of his income that he gave to charity??? This is the point of fiscal conservatism -- we believe that we can more effectively manage the money we have than can big government, and since "we built it" we believe that we should be able to spend it how we see fit. You certainly can't paint Mitt as a "heartless" conservative if you take into consideration the level to which he gives to charity.

[kevjustice]

JIMMY CARTER'S REVENGE!!! carter(his grandson) got this tape out. it has further damaged romney's image. even jimmy carter(grandson)can beat up mitt!!! lol!!!! lmao!!!!

[kevjustice]

republicans destroyed the ecomony and leave it to obama to rebuild it without any republican help/cooperation.

[taxed01]

Are you a victim?

[RollotheNorman]

Speaking of victims, the whine from the Norquist contingent sounds like paying the really minimal taxes they pay under present schedules makes them the oppressed.

[1stlttightwad]

OBAMA SOLVES IMMIGRATION PROBLEM!!..He has made American into a land where no one should expect to work hard and better themselves.So why come here.

[taxed01]

cydy - the conservatives learned from Obama - everything is somebody else's fault.