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Mitt Romney is working to stress his Michigan roots and empathy for the state's auto industry as part of a new offensive ahead of the Great Lake State's Feb. 28 primary.
In a new television ad and an op-ed Tuesday in the Detroit News, Romney reminded Michigan Republicans of his upbringing in the state, while working to better couch his opposition to the 2009 bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler engineered by President Obama.
"I grew up in Michigan; it was exciting to be here," Romney says in the ad, in which he appears driving a Chrysler 300. "Michigan's been my home; this is personal."
In the ad, Romney also addresses the federal bailout of the auto industry in broad terms, asking, "How in the world did an industry and its leaders and its unions get in such a fix," while accusing Obama of having done "all these things the liberals had wanted to do for years" without adding specifics.
Joshua Lott / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign event in Mesa, Arizona February 13, 2012.
It's a sentiment echoed in Romney's piece in today's Detroit News, in which he expands on his opposition to the 2009 bailout.
The effort seems directed at softening some of the attacks directed at Romney by Democrats associated with the former Massachusetts governor's opposition to Obama's handling of the bailout, outlined famously in a New York Times op-ed titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."
Obama and his campaign count the revivals for GM and Chrysler among the administration's greatest successes in its first term. Obama trumpeted Chrysler's early repaying of some bridge loans and improved balance sheets by both companies, although the government maintains a significant equity share in both automakers.
"Does anyone believe what Mitt says: that the American auto industry would be better off today if the president hadn't intervened in 2009?" Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod tweeted Tuesday morning.
Other Democratic surrogates attacked Romney for trying to soften or even reverse his position ahead of the primary.
"All of them are wrong," former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said of the GOP field during a DNC conference call Tuesday, "but for Romney in particular it shows that the man has no principles, no core."
"Remember, that was then and this is now. Then he said let them go into bankruptcy," said Michigan Rep. John Dingell, seizing on a portion in Romney's op-ed hailing GM and Chrysler's revival. "He is now finding that success is here, and he wants to rush out and claim success, and claim participation in that success."
Romney's opposition to the bailout does little to distinguish him from his competitors in the Republican primary in Michigan.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who's surged nationally versus Romney since scoring upset victories in a trio of nominating contests last week, appears poised to take a run at Romney on his home turf in Michigan. Santorum's on the air in the Wolverine State, and some automated polls (which aren't recognized by NBC News) suggest Santorum is within striking distance of victory in the Michigan primary, which Romney won during his presidential campaign of 2008.
Moreover, Santorum's position on the auto bailouts is virtually identical to Romney's. "I called for a structured bankruptcy from the very beginning," Santorum said in January on C-SPAN. "They could have gone through a structured bankruptcy. And the only difference between those two companies coming out of bankruptcy versus the bailouts Obama put in place was that the unions wouldn’t take ownership share of the company. The bondholders who were all in line under the rule of law should have gotten their fairer share of the company."
Former House Speaker Gingrich has also voiced opposition to the auto industry bailout.
Romney has homed in now on the treatment of unions as a main point of criticism toward Obama's handling of the managed bankruptcy. Romney says the president had eventually pursued the managed bankruptcy option Romney had preferred, but did so in a way that unfairly advantaged the UAW and organized labor over Chrysler and GM's secured creditors -- most of which are located on Wall Street.
"While a lot of workers and investors got the short end of the stick, Obama's union allies — and his major campaign contributors — reaped reward upon reward, all on the taxpayer's dime," Romney wrote in the Detroit News piece, in which he calls for the government to sell off its shares of GM.
But Romney's new strides this week appear more directed at responding to attacks by Democrats, not his rivals in the presidential campaign. The bailout remains generally popular in Michigan, and even some congressional Republicans who represent the issue are on record in favor of the Obama administration's support for GM and Chrysler. Democrats' attacks are meant to saddle Romney in parts of the Midwest where the auto industry remains dominant, and drive up his negatives both for the Republican primary and the general election. (Obama led Romney, 48 to 40 percent, in a January 2012 EPIC/MRA poll of likely Michigan voters, erasing an advantage that Romney had held over the president in 2011 polls.)
Those efforts to define Romney might be aided by Romney's own history on the issue, now trying to largely take credit for the path the Obama adminstration pursued after having pleaded for Washington to ease the path for automakers during the 2008 GOP primary in Michigan.
"The question is, where is Washington?" Romney said during that campaign, according to an account by the New York Times, specifically decrying new fuel efficiency standards for Detroit's Big Three. "Where does it stop? Is there a point at which someone says 'enough'? Or are we going to allow the entire domestic automotive manufacturing industry to disappear?"
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Yup, Mitt, and it will get a whole lot more exciting the first time you address a gathering of auto workers.
I do not even dislike the guy, but I'd have to see how he dances around his auto industry remarks, and how Obama did wrong to prevent the collapse of 2 of the remaining 3 U.S. auto makers.
You go, Mitt, oh truth speaker!!
You'll be lucky to get out of Michigan alive.
romney is so full of sh@@,driving a chrysler 300.who's he trying to kid?probably the first time he's been in anything other than a rolls royce or a bentley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GW bush started the bailouts and even reagan bailed out Chrysler. Funny how you don't hear any thing about that. Both of must have been socialists. Selective memory repubs!
I'll make you a $10,000 wager that Romney rues the day he ever wrote that op ed piece. He is in BIG trouble
Fan of Walker Ron ?
"but for Romney in particular it shows that the man has no principles, no core."
"Remember, that was then and this is now. Then he said let them go into bankruptcy," said Michigan Rep. John Dingell, seizing on a portion in Romney's op-ed hailing GM and Chrysler's revival. "He is now finding that success is here, and he wants to rush out and claim success, and claim participation in that success."
So here the GOP candidates go again trying to say whatever they think the people want to hear. When history shows you to be wrong, just rewrite history and LIE, LIE, LIE. Good luck. Anybody who votes Republican in Michigan should be driven out of the state.
"let them go into bankruptcy" was the mantra of every GOP candidate regarding the American auto industry. How do you possibly backpeddle from that. BUT THEY WILL. LIARS!
Tell 'em "Yes, bailouts!!!" now, then renege after you get elected...just like Nick Clegg did with university tuition in the UK.
Now THAT's funny. We ALL know what Romney's going to do if he were to get in, he's going to continue to make his millions liquidating American Businesses, laying off American Workers, shipping American jobs overseas, and blaming American Workers for EVERYTHING because he says we make way too much money, we want health care, and we want our retirement money, all of which is way out of line in the mind of Republicans.
Romney will give American Workers an ultimatum: Either lower our wages and surrender our retirement or no jobs for anybody.
Republicans = Tax Cuts for the Rich, Pay Cuts for Working Americans.
Obama / Biden 2012
To GOP fans your SO not going to win this blog argument. The only option Romney has with this state is to skip it entirely or apologize. Dats it.
I like Romney, I will porbably vote for him if he gets the GOP nomination. But, I have never seen a person claim to be from so many places at once...First he was from New Hampshire, then UT, and MA, now MI? I can understand you living in many different places over your life.
The only place you are truly "from" is the city on your birth certificate. Where are you "from" Romney?
TO: PatsFan4Life who wrote:
What do you like best, Romney liquidating American Businesses, Romney laying off American Workers, Romney shipping American Jobs overseas, Romney paying a lower tax rate than average American Workers, or Romney keeping his mega-millions "off shore" so that he doesn't have to pay his fair share in taxes like the rest of us?
Obama / Biden 2012
American,
You know that he paid taxes on the money off shore or else he would have been arrested as that is illegal. Romney also does pay the legal amount of his taxes so if you do not like the law ask President Obama why he extended it last December. On shipping jobs overseas why was Chrysler sold to an Italian company and Hummer sold to a Chinese company, is that not what you are accusing Romney of?
You porbably will be among the many that will saddle the GOP with a loser this year.
TO: Bob in Virginia-5210392 who wrote:
Republicans created the "bail out", but Republican amnesia doesn't allow you to remember that.
Obama / Biden 2012
BINGO !!! Gov Granholm hit the nail on the head !!! CarpetBagger Romney has no Core Values !! OR Principles !! He just want to be prez , another feather in his cap .... You dont like Obama and policy ?? Elect Romney and punish yourself ... we cant get any worse here in the middle. once we are gone , the poor will take down the 1%
I recently heard a comedian (can't remember who) say: "The only difference between Mitt Romney and a statue of Mitt Romney is the statue doesn't change position." Seems a very true statement to me.
this is very much like when Romney immediately criticized the President on Libya only to see the strategy work perfectly.
he was clueless on both issues and would have chosen the wrong path
these two instances show that President Obama is a better leader than what Romney would be.
that's the problem with electing someone that has no conviction, there is nothing to guide them through murky waters
How much "Better" shape would have the U.S. economy have been if we had taken the advice of the GOP to let the auto industry go belly up---How many of us would be in even MORE trouble now ? Romney is in big trouble for opposing the auto bailouts here in michigan.
Got that right! The man's a gold-plated phony.
Everyone needs to stop calling what the government did for the auto industry a "bail-out". This was not a cash infusion with no strings attached, much like what the financial industry got. This was a loan, with an expectation that it would be paid back.
Had the auto companies gone through bankruptcy, like Romney suggested, the suppliers to the auto companies would have gone under, and the economy in the Midwest would have looked like Hiroshima in 1945. I'd like to know if any of the other Republican candidates disagree with Romney.
It definitely was not a loan it was an investment by the Federal government as we own much of the company. The CEO was fired which he deserved, bondholders were told they were not going to be paid even though they were supposed to be first in line in violation of rules, dealerships were closed, tax breaks were given to GM that other companies did not receive, etc. Now for the taxpayer to get their money back the stock has to go to about $55.00 a share and it is sitting at $24.00 a share.
The funniest thing about this whole thing is they lie their faces off and these so called religious people swear to them your all going to hell
romney should wrestle with the greed and dishonesty the mormon church demands of him.
What these GOP nutcases are finally realizing is that they are going to be held accountable for the right wing positions they have taken. MI will drive this lesson home to them.
No worries - Romney will change positions to say he not only supported the bailout fully - but that he told Obama to do it.
How many times have you heard President Obama give credit to President Bush for the auto bailout, because all I hear is how he and his administration saved everything.
lol Rob. I have one (and only one) positive thought, if Romney should somehow miraculously win the White House. And that is....only 50% of what Mittens says now, would come true if he were elected lol.
Mittens would be wrestling with his conscience if he had one. Romney is a completely amoral talking head with no core values or principles whatsoever.
You guys are being so uncool, you're going to upset Mitt's little fantasy that he might be President someday. Good luck in November, Republicans.
If memory serves, it seems to me that GM entered bankruptcy and took the bailout money to dig out of its financial problems.
If Mr. Romney thinks he can "come home" to Michigan and try to convince these Great Lakes people they're suffering from a drug-induced memory lapse, he's really more screwed up than anyone ever believed.
HOW COULD THE GOP GET SOOO DESPERATE TO EVEN CONSIDER LISTENING TO A MAN THAT BOWS DOWN TO THE ALTAR OR '' M O R O N I '' ?????????? i mean , they are the ones that uses religion as a political crutch all the time. worshiping christ and kneeling down to a false angel is so diferent , until it's accultic. getting baptized for dead people , and having 4 and 5 wives , when JESUS said it's adultery ??? come on REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE TEA PARTIERS , '' HOW IN THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD , COULD YA'LL ENTERTAIN SUCH BLASPHEMY ??? GREEEEEDDDDDD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"In the ad, Romney also addresses the federal bailout of the auto industry in broad terms, asking, "How in the world did an industry and its leaders and its unions get in such a fix," while accusing Obama of having done "all these things the liberals had wanted to do for years" without adding specifics."
Mittens reminds me of that little worm we all knew in grade school who always tattles to the teacher on the rest of the kids. Whatta jerk.
So Mitt and the rest of the clowns were against the bailouts, even when they were for the bailouts. Is it possible for them to be any more shallow? Why is it the GOP think that everyone is a moron with no long term memory? How do they look at themselves in a mirror and still spew such garbage?