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PORTSMOUTH, VA -- Looking to preempt President Obama's first official campaign rally in the state this weekend, Mitt Romney hammered the president's record and rhetoric today, accusing him of pushing energy prices up, weakening the military and casting blame for a tepid economic recovery elsewhere.
“The president is going to be here on Saturday,” Romney said to boos from a crowd of several hundred at a marine construction company in Portsmouth. “He’s going to be kicking off his campaign here. And you know there are two things you can expect from him, at least: Number one is a lot of blame. Alright, he’ll be pointing around because he doesn’t want to talk about his own record and his own failures. He’ll instead be trying to find other people to blame."
Romney renewed his attack on President Obama's energy policy today, saying the president's policies have made it harder for Americans to take advantage of home-grown energy sources, and accusing the administration of dragging it's feet in approving exploration permits for oil and gas drilling off Virginia's coast, while quickly funding pet projects like failed solar company Solyndra.
"The Department of Interior says they’re studying it. Studying it. Didn’t study very long to get the money, $500 million, to Solyndra, did they? They got that out in a big hurry.” Romney said.
The Obama campaign responded to the swipe, accusing Romney of looking to steamroll environmental review processes for the benefit of his supporters in energy industry, and of deploying rhetoric "as reckless as it was dishonest."
In attacking the president's stewardship of the economy, Romney mocked the new advertising slogan "Forward," rolled out by the Obama campaign earlier this week.
"This president says he wants to lead [the country] forward. If the last three and a half years are his definition of forward I'd hate to see what backward looks like," Romney said.
Romney also tried to appeal to Virginia's large military and veteran populations, accusing the president of gutting military spending, while promising to increase naval shipbuilding and military spending (a goal some analysts have said may be incompatible with his tax cut and balanced-budget plans).
"This president," Romney said, "is intent on reducing our commitment to our military, cutting our military spending."
Romney brought two Republican heavyweights out from his corner today to help in pummeling the president, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, who formally endorsed Romney's candidacy just today.
Bachmann, who battered Romney for his support for a health care mandate in Massachusetts during the primary season, today praised her former presidential rival, and vigorously worked the crowd on his behalf after vowing to "lend my voice and my endorsement" to the cause of electing the former Massachusetts Governor.
McDonnell, who campaigned with Romney earlier this year in South Carolina and Virginia, and who attended a fundraiser with him last night in Arlington, also stepped up his attacks against President Obama in what many political observers said was yet another audition for a possible Romney vice president.
"Remember three and a half years ago we heard that tune about hope and change?" McDonnell asked the crowd during his introduction to Romney. "Now what do we have? We have recession, division and malaise. Its time for a change, don't you think?"
Despite declaring himself more than happy with his current job (which he is prevented by term limit laws from seeking again in 2014), McDonnell has remained high on the speculative Romney shortlist due to his popularity in a prominent swing state, his military background and his early and strong support for Romney.
"I think they would be an excellent, excellent pair," Martha Stevens, and administrative manager from Newport news said.
Asked if she thought McDonnell's support for a controversial bill limiting abortion rights might hurt McDonnell's appeal to women, Stevens conceded it might, but on the question of whether McDonnell would bring enough punch to the GOP ticket, she was bullish.
"We don't need to be entertained. We need to have someone there that knows the facts and has a plan and can help us get back to the America that is working and can feel good about itself," she said.
Kevin Walker, a defense contractor and registered independent who said he planned to support Romney this fall, was less impressed with the idea of his governor as Romney's running mate.
"I don't know what he brings to the party," Walker shrugged.
Leave a Comment:
How do you know Romney has a plan?
Because he says he has a plan?
Several hundred?
Really?
Color me impressed! lol
How many sub sandwiches did that cost Willard?
Not only can't Romney decide on his own campaign stops without checking Obama's calendar, he can't even develop his own campaign themes without first checking what the FOX network is running with today. "Entertainer in chief" Please, Romney isn't smart enough to come up with that on his own.
Hey Feisty, Where's V-Bob. Virginia's in the news, and no V-Bob. Whats the deal?
Shhhhh - right now he's in the middle of a nice stiff probe!
He will be along shortly as soon as he finished cleaning himself up! ;o)
LOL!
Da Noid, We haven't seen Romney's plan yet, because we are still waiting for Obama's plan. BTW, what is Obama's plan other than raise taxes and spend more money. One would think that after 3 1/2 yrs of Obama we would have some kind of a plan to improve the economy.
Based on Romney's staff, he is stuck in the past with neocon foreign policy, voodoo economics, and Robert Bork giving legal advice (OMG save the SCOTUS!). But the real issue is WTF has Romney been doing all these years repeatedly campaigning instead of working, and why hasn't he bothered to study up on policy?!! The man has NO excuse for lack of knowledge, and even less excuse for lack of interest in it!
sfcret -- Do you dictate to a typist? Because you obviously don't read, heck do you even watch the news?
How many times does the president need to come up with a "4 trillion Big Deal" or "Jobs Bill" not to mention his budget proposal every year... This year his plan scored WAY better than the not plausible Paul Ryan gimmick, though like Romney's plan, Ryan's so vague these can't really be scored (which is how they want these to be).
Okay, I'll try to keep this bumper-sticker simple:
President Obama's budget would reduce deficits with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases on the rich.
Romney's plan would reduce deficits with spending cuts, with exception of the huge increase in defense spending, would require complete elimination of entitlements -- and still wouldn't balance the budget.
This is worth repeating:
WTF has Romney been doing all these years repeatedly campaigning instead of working, and why hasn't he bothered to study up on policy?!! The man has NO excuse for lack of knowledge, and even less excuse for lack of interest in it!
Romney's Super PAC is called "Restore our Future" -- Think about it. David Walker had me LMAO about it. And I believe Stephen Colbert named his first, "A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" as satire, OMG!
If warm-over, rehashed platitudes were a buffet, Chris Christie would have been face down and bollocks deep in this rally.
Rombot.Has.Nothing.
I have said all along, Governor Krispy Creme feasts on his own & demands seconds along with a doggy bag!
True Patriot - Same old left wing talking points, play the blame game. Get some new material yours is really becoming a joke. It was Obama that walked away from the so called "big deal", then came crying after he couldn't get a better from the so called "gang of six". Actually no policy is better than what Obama has.
Romney studied hard, got a great education, one of the top recruits in the country, got a great job, did a great job and got recruited away for a better job, did a great job, got offered a better job, did a great job ... ended up building a net worth of $250 million. In other words, he is successful enough to not need a job .... to work or rely on anyone else.
So why Obama has been campaigning the last 5 years for president instead of working?
Can anyone articulate what Obama's foreign policy is other than treat your friends like your enemies and your enemies like your friends? If Romney really needs a policy .... do anything but that and the world will be a much better, safer place - can't avoid being an improvement.
Think I'm kidding .... treat Iran like Iran, but not possess the nuts to do anything ..... and they get the bomb that starts the greatest nuclear arms race in history in the most unstable part of the world in history.
Or you can do like Obama and let them get the bomb and give Russia our misslile defense - the ability to protect the American people and our friends.
Actually Romney has a JD, cum laude from Harvard and an M.B.A., top 5% - Baker Scholar from Harvard ... that he earned simultaneously.
Can Obama top that .... has the community organizer ever even had an economics class
Yea .... and how many times as anyone every seen the plan on paper?
Would that be one of those "shovel ready" jobs that Obama laughs about not really existing now?
That NOT even ONE DEMOCRAT HAS VOTED FOR ...
Which one of those budgets - the ones not one dem voted for - cut spending.
Even Obama admits that the Buffett tax won't raise revenue - in fact will probably reduce revenue as history indicates .... but he thinks it being "fair" is close enough to justify taking money from the private sector, job creators. (Actually he knows it is just class warfare .... pandering to the low information voters and the lib base.
Romney's plan would reduce deficits with spending cuts, with exception of the huge increase in defense spending, would require complete elimination of entitlements -- and still wouldn't balance the budget.
Btw - are you ignorant, or just a liar?
Every time i see Romney i think of this big prancing" White French Poodle" !
Romney has a plan .. Grover Norquist said all the Republicans need is someone with 5 digits to sign the bills he will present ... Romneys plan is to let Grover run the country and all Mitt has to do is sign off on it... thats what the tea party calls a good plan for America .. get a hollow suit in the white house
Bob ... I cant believe anyone would think the Romney reverse plan is a good plan .. that plan got us to where we are today
Obama-Biden 2012 - "Forward" to the continuing decline of America
you seem to be ignorant of where we were and were we are now.
Why is that, you don't read?
some fun facts for you.
Unemployment has been steadily dropping for the past year. 8.2%
(It takes time to fix a disaster the size of Bush's!)
26 months of positive job growth after Bush's record setting 800,000 jobs lost in JUST ONE MONTH!
OVER 4 million private sector so far!
2 1/2 years of positive GDP after 1 1/2 years of negative growth.
GW Bush set a record MINUS 6.8% GDP !
More oil being produced Domestically than in the past 10 years!
Exports at an ALL TIME HIGH!
trade deficit at an ALL TIME LOW!
Stock market up from 7500 at the end of Bush to approaching 13000 today.
How exactly do you see that as a decline?
Don't forget - Bin Laden dead - OMG there goes the GNOP security blanket - Now they don't have any boogey men left to scare us with.....
FACTS - TRUTH...
GNOPers CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
Will rightwingers ever stop with their BS? Please quote credible sources on this. (No Glenn Beck/The Blaze is NOT credible).
Paul, "Don't forget Bin Laden's dead". Yes, thanks to the US intelligence community, special operations forces and our military. (Anyone would have given the order, so that is not a major accomplishment). My God even the military is blasting Obama for trying to take a victory lap and "spiking the football."
Why do we no longer see the body count of Americans killed in Afghanistan. Are you on the left no longer interested? Do you realize that 68% of American dead have been under Obama's watch?
sf - as Harry Truman said - "The buck stops here" - Obama gave the orders, the mission was successful. ... Yes or No? If the mission had failed everyone would have been aup in arms and reaming him. Yes or No?
Yea - Bush was really into it......at first he was going to get him.....then...ech...it was too hard so let's get someone else. As Romney indicated - he felt it wasn't necessary to get Bin Laden...guess he wanted bin Laden around to use as a scare tactic........Ya know - if Bin Laden wasn't killed all you GNOPers would be hollering why hasn't Pres. Obama gotten bin Laden yet? Just like ya'all want the economy turned around overnight.....
IMHO All the GNOP is interested in is starting new wars so they can send everyone else's sons and daughters off to show everyone else "the American Way" and to protect the intersts of the big war machines.....
One word: tripe. Romney can't even decide on his own campaign stops without first checking Obama's calendar. Let's see, Obama isn't supposed to claim he was a good commander-in-chief, but he's supposed to endure Romney's (and every Republican since at least Nixon) charge that he is gutting the military and is therefore unpatriotic. I'm only hoping that independents are better at math than Republicans and realize that you can't raise military spending without raising someone's taxes, or cutting a lot of other services.
Yea - THhe GNOP talke about increasing military spending while gutting the veterans programs.....
Four more years? Of what? This economy? I don't think so. Our country is in the toilet right now....
some fun facts for you.
Unemployment has been steadily dropping for the past year. 8.2%
(It takes time to fix a disaster the size of Bush's!)
26 months of positive job growth after Bush's record setting 800,000 jobs lost in JUST ONE MONTH!
OVER 4 million private sector so far!
2 1/2 years of positive GDP after 1 1/2 years of negative growth.
GW Bush set a record MINUS 6.8% GDP !
More oil being produced Domestically than in the past 10 years!
Exports at an ALL TIME HIGH!
trade deficit at an ALL TIME LOW!
Stock market up from 7500 at the end of Bush to approaching 13000 today.
How exactly do you see that as being in the toilet?
Why do conservatives just bury their heads in the sand and ignore reality.
Why do conservatives just bury their heads in the sand and ignore reality.
Just- Because that's what the big money pays them to do!
Obama/ Biden - 2012
THE GNOP CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH
More fun facts: the Obama economic record is the worse since Herbert Hoover.
"I don't know what he brings to the party," Walker shrugged.
He brings blame and political fabrication. What he does not bring is anything specific he would do or have done different from the incumbent. ("Don't be specific, people might not like it")
His message seems to be "Vote for Me, I'm a white male and therefore am better".
What made Romney come to Portsmouth Va? For the majority of citizens here, it appears that his views are way out of step. But to be fair, who really knows what his policies are? Maybe, he was counting on a small audience.
A few hundred for a potential president?
He got his wish :) Small crowd.
Every time i see Romney i think of this big prancing" White French Poodle" !
"McDonnell has remained high on the speculative Romney shortlist due to his popularity in a prominent swing state, his military background and his early and strong support for Romney."
"I think they would be an excellent, excellent pair," Martha Stevens, and administrative manager from Newport News said.
I couldnt agree more with Martha.
McDonnell is a rising superstar Governor and would help Romney win the election and send the crooked Chicago machine back to Illinois....
"Every time i see Romney i think of this big prancing" White French Poodle" !"
Every time i see him i think of a used car salesman with a bobble head. He's one of those people that if you saw him on the street you would have the inexplicable urge to curb stomp him just because. And god forbid he open his mouth, he sounds either confused or half retarded. Im starting to wonder if he is a fetal alcohol baby or somthing. We all know GWB was dumber than homade feces but i would say Romney has trumped GWB on the tardo scale.
DUH!!!
How about the previous eight years...
This guy is SOOOOOO out of touch with America, the citizens, and reality -
Do you realize how much responsibility is on our President's shoulders right now? He is the only thing between this out of touch flip flopper and the White House!
President Obama for President 11/2012!
Forward? Really? Take a page right out of the Communist Manifesto my Marxist friend. READ HISTORY, gang. It is all there in the book of communist campaign slogans and 10 year plans. All of which failed. Even Mao used "A Great Leap FORWARD". Lenin used "Forward for our Motherland".
willard where's the money ???? income tax returns , are you a citizen of U.S. ????
All this communist, socialist talk about the president shows your ignorance to the world. Some of you fine citizens do not realize that the world see's this vine. It isn't that you maybe wrong about the issue. It is how it is worded. After all history teaches that most great nations fall from within.
Romney left a trail of lies behind him. Does he think the media aren't going to fact check or that nobody refers to the media? Under Obama, all petroleum licensing, drilling, and national production are up substantially. In 2011 we were a petroleum exporting nation for the first time since 1949. Petroleum companies are making historically high net profits. Why doesn't Romney explain why Republicans fight to keep 100 year old petroleum subsidies flowing out of the people's treasury. Automobile fuel needed for the change from horse drawn transportation seems to be an old problem - a century old problem.
In science fiction horror and UFO legends, malevolent or strange aliens scoop up humans and probe their orifices In Virginia that is neither fiction or true science. It is mandatory, and the alienaters are Republicans, just like Pennsylvanian Republicans. Nobody on the planet sanctions that.