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Evan Vucci / AP
Republican presidential candidate greets supporters Friday during a campaign rally in Orange City, Iowa.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- In his first rally since President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president, Mitt Romney on Friday called Obama's speech in Charlotte, N.C., "extraordinarily disappointing" and castigated Obama for not proposing how to solve joblessness.
"I read that this morning, you perhaps got the chance to do that," Romney said of the speech, suggesting he didn't watch the event live on television Thursday night.
"But if you did, perhaps like me you found it extraordinary disappointing -- surprisingly disappointing," Romney continued, adding later, "I was surprised by his address because I expected him to confront the major challenges of the last four years, which is an economy which has not produced the jobs that the American people need."
Romney made the remarks to several thousand people inside a basketball gym at Northwestern College, a small Christian liberal arts school here in conservative northwest Iowa.
Campaign officials said 2,600 people were inside the gym, and another 800 to 1000 people were inside an overflow room, which Romney visited briefly afterward.
The event came on the same day the Labor Department released a sour jobs report showing employers added 96,000 jobs in August and that more than 350,000 people had stopped looking for work.
"It’s just simply unimaginable," Romney said of the numbers. "The president said that by this time we’d be at 5.4 percent unemployment. 5.4 percent. Instead, we’re at about 8 percent."
Romney said the difference accounts for 9 million people who could be working.
Earlier Friday, Romney called the report a "hangover" after the Democrats' "party" in Charlotte.
"This is a tough time for the middle class of America," Romney told reporters on a tarmac in Sioux City. "There's almost nothing the president has done in the past three and a half, four years that gives the American people confidence that he knows what he's doing when it comes to jobs and the economy."
Before Romney took the stage here in Orange City, campaign aides tossed to the crowd blue foam gloves designed to look like baseball mitts.
A scoreboard inside the gym had been programmed to list one team as "Mitt" and the other "Romney." Scores were listed as 11 and 6, a reference to the Nov. 6 general election.
Romney was introduced by two Iowa Republicans, Gov. Terry Branstad and Rep. Steve King, who represents the 5th district here and is running for re-election.
Making an apparent pitch for Romney's conservative credentials, King told the crowd that Obama "undermines" the values of northwest Iowa "day after day after day."
"Don't doubt this man's faith. Don't doubt his conviction," King said of Romney. "Do not doubt his patriotism or his faith, and his love for Jesus Christ, our savior."
Romney later urged the crowd inside the overflow room to re-elect King.
"I wanna make sure he's in Washington when I get there so we can do the things we're promising doing," Romney said.
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America is looking forward to a Romney administration. Can't wait till the thug Obama is sent back to Chicago.
It won't make the same mistake twice.
America has already rejected Obama..
It's Romney/Ryan time. America's choice..
lucky,
You're a stupid redneck hillbilly. You know nothing about Chicago.
Rob99
Ok you stupid hick boy.. He's a thug from Chicago.. Get over it.
America knows it. He's gone in Nov. 2012.
lucky - I also must be a thug from Chicago - twelve years Catholic Education - University of Chicago Graduate - Economics
Went on to have a horse farm in Virginia - 4-H leader - and Member on the Cancer Board
Moved to New Jersey - elected as a Council Person - while Chairing the Rent Control Board
All the while raising three children - who are all College Graduates - five grandchildren all College Graduates
And by the way traveling the US as a Senior Manager at a Fortune 50 Company
Yeah - we are nothing but a bunch of thugs
Did I forget renting houses in Italy and France so my children and grandchildren can see the way of life of other cultures
But lucky I know you've done as much - even though only 30% of Americans have a passport - and don't want to know
But lucky - if you call me a thug - than I am proud to hold that title
PS Lucky we Thugs from Chicago can spot a phoney a mile off and Willard Milton Romney and his little pal Paul Ryan - are phonies!
What god didn't give us is rose colored glasses - after all we are after all Midwesterners and don't suffer fools gladly - least of all you!
There is another one of those fake posters in this format: <name or initials>+-+7 digits.
They have been flooding forums everywhere. I think the Koch Brothers have some extra money and they have been creating jobs paying people to complain about the lack of jobs.
If the republicans put the money they are spending on crying about jobs this week, and put into creating jobs, we'd be good.
Or, we could vote out the obstructionist baggers, and same result.
The government's unemployment figure only represents those on unemployment not the total number of unemployed. Figuring the percentage of male and females working against the averages of the last 20 years. The figure is closer to 16%. This is the worst number of unemployed people today since the Carter administration. This is worst than anything in 2008, 2009, or 2010. Do the numbers yourself. At between 120,000 to 150,000 new jobs needed per month just to handle the new people entering the jobs market, Obama's claim of 4 million new jobs doesn't even keep up with people entering the US jobs market
It does however demonstrate the reversal of the job losses, and the continuing (albeit slow) recovery from the recession that was "gifted" to the American people before President Obama's adminstration.
Funny how those same numbers of job losses (i.e. - "120,000 to 150,000 new jobs needed just to handle the new people entering the jobs market") never seem to be included or discussed when mentioning the job losses and subsequent trend established under the previous administration.
So I guess we should say that we were losing 900K to a million jobs a month then?
Matthew.....Why do you also fail to mention that democrats had majority control of the government when that was happening for nearly two years. In fact, democrats were writting every piece of legislation that Bush signed in his last two years. Here are the jobs numbers for the last 18 years. While republicans controlled the house we had nearly 22 million jobs created. While the democrats contolled the house we lost nearly 7 million jobs......While republicans controlled the senate we created nearly 20 million jobs and about 4 million jobs were lost while democrats contolled the Senate.
PutAmericaFirst - It has been documented that Democrats held the control of government 44 days
Remember Al Franken with the Republicans fighting tooth and nail to keep him off
Then there were the 90 plus fillibusters - maybe just maybe not to be crass we could have put them on a sex cruise
But no we had a very small window and Nancy Pelosi was the Iron Maiden - 235 bills - versus what 2 with the Republicans
Face it Democrats, Obama couldn't even get one Democratic Senator to vote for his last budget let alone any Republicans. What would give anyone an idea he could do anything with our deficit problem. Rhetoric is one thing but the President can't even convince anyone in his own party he knows what to do with the budget
Ray: Damnit! I get so tired of dealing with people who do not understand how their government works. The budget you are referring was voted down so that they could consider another budget. Geeeezzzzzzzz........ I'll bet you think not one Congressman or woman read the health care bill either, don't you?
TJefferson-1649275
Liberals never want to deal with the facts. We know how Obama works.
He doesn't. Is it really that tough to see the thug from Chicago doesn't have clue.
It's clear you don't either.
Sorry RayW - all those Bills your little neaderthals put forward had a poison pill in it - defund PBS - defund Planned Parenthood - get rid of environmental protections - sell your grandma
You get my point - none of these bills were meant to pass, they were diversions
And 31 bills to get rid of Obama Care
Get serious - and 51 bills on defining abortion - instituting personhood - should I go on
Even a jobs bill had an attachment on abortion
They knew none would get through the Senate - it was all for show - so they can say we gave them a million bills - BS - TOTAL BS
Mittwit can't read
He didn't read the speech. By listing three examples, Obama said he could create more jobs in the following ways:
Give tax breaks to companies that produce American goods by Americans.
Go forward with more alternative energy and fuel raising standards - jobs
Invest more in science and math by recruiting teachers
The problem is that the oil barons want to be the only ones writing energy policy. Another problem is that the Republican congress won't work with Obama on a jobs plan that runs contrary to their 20th century times and principles. Another problem is that they prefer faith based education instead of learning how to solve proportion and ratio problems at the least. Republicans are a bad choice.
Only an idiot would think that we could create jobs while going forward with more alternative energy and raising fuel standards. Spain tried that and they lost 3 jobs for every one they created. Just proof that Obama has to go.
Horse sh!t. If we can go to the moon we can do anything. It's the energy industry that's trying to tell me what's best and only so they can line their pockets more.
Are you really that dense.
Obama - has put 23 million people out of work in less than 3 years.
America has already rejected the fool. Just waiting for Nov. 2012.
By the way unployment 15% to 21%. Facts hick boy.
Your somking to much of that Obama.. It's made you a looney Liberal.
Why are Liberals followers instead of leaders.
Because you want a free ride where the goverment (tax payers) pay your way.
Obama had 4 years to create jobs and failed. He is finished.
Now he can create jobs. Bye, bye Obama.
T. Boone Pickens Blasts Romney’s Energy Plan: ‘All They Talk About Is Oil’
We have enough clean natural gas to power this country for 100 years. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. Coal and oil, the other fossil fuels, are more chemically complicated than natural gas, and when combusted, they release a variety of potentially harmful chemicals into the air. Burning methane releases only carbon dioxide and water. Since natural gas is mostly methane, the combustion of natural gas releases fewer byproducts than other fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, Mitt the Twitt is single mindedly focused on oil.
President Obama will win the presidency. Little doubt about that. The real problem, though, is Congress. The red states will send their usual uneducated maroons. (Look maroon up in the dictionary all you far, right wing, extremist, fanatics. I've learned I must say that because almost to a person they let me know I've misspelled "moron." geeeezzz) I'm afraid this year they may be in the majority. White sheets will be in fashion from the southern states while the Evangelicals will be baptizing the lost in the mud puddles of Washington, D.C. These people may well be our rulers in this highly interdependent, multi-cultural, multi-racial, post-industrial Republic within a 21st century world that desperately needs the direction President Obama and his team are providing. None of this is even understandable to the Republican Party rank and file or to their leadership for that matter. This kind of post always brings a response of deep intellectual thought by right wing nuts who are incapable of understanding that they are making the case for my argument.
Your ridiculous rant is not worth responding to, and you wonder why people on the right, hate and I do mean hate folks like you? You insult and demean people you know nothing about. I am a Southern and I deeply resent your white sheet comment. You Sir are ignorant.
I agree TJ,
Given the electoral college structure, Romney would have to capture about 70% of the "toss up" states votes or 79 out of 110 while Obama only needs 33 to get to 270. The good thing is that the dark red states don't have many delegates.
Celtic 1: Thank you for your support! Now, do you wonder why those of us in the middle absolutely hate people like you! I am a white southerner and I know damn well what I'm talking about--and so do you! Stop the BS
Let me go slowly for you- I never mentioned where I stood politically ,read my early posts and you would see I am moderate. I said people on the right- the extreme right. You are most likely a Northern trans plant with tired Klan references that only a non Southern person would use. - by the way you don't know Jack Sh*$ son
Rob99: Actually, all either Romney or Obama needs to do is to win the seven large states and fifty more delegates. I think the President will do that. Congress is where the problem is and the TEA Party knows it. Their leaders have said that they really don't care who wins the presidency because they won't support either. They're focused on winning Congress, and they will win the southern states and the mid-western rural states. Listen to them talk. Don't listen to me. Listen to what they say. They're telling you they do not care about the 21st century world that has emerged, and that they are planning to take this country back, if they can, to social Darwinism. Paul Ryan is a social Darwinist. His politico-economic doctrine is that.
Many southeners want to go back to segregation; Evangelicals want to go back to forced school Christian prayer (that's always good because they get into a fight over whether it's going to be a Baptist Prayer, a Church of Christ Prayer, Catholic Prayer, etc., etc.) I don't know. The entire prospect of this possibility looks so damned depressing for the Republic and the world.
Celtic: Thanks for your support. You seem to be becoming the personification of my argument. I not a northern transplant. I am 74 years old and I know exactly what I'm talking about. Are you not aware that the KKK is actively and publicly recruiting in some counties of Arkansas; that the Nazi Party has now placed a lobbyist from North Carolina in Washington, D.C; that some Georgians and Texans want their states to succeed from the Union; and that the FBI reports a substantial number of people joining or supporting far, right wing, extremist, fanatic groups such as the skinheads, American Nazi's, and far, right wing, extremist, fanatics in the militia movements. When did the FBI say that these substantial numbers of people began their journey to these far, right wing groups? According to the FBI, it began immediately upon the election of President Obama in 2008! Why not look at the numbers of people both Democrat and Republican who voted for Bill Clinton from the south and other red states during his two terms and then see what those numbers say to you in 2008.
I am aware of many things Sir, I am a native of South Carolina so I do not need a cultural breakdown. To your points- so what- skinheads flourish on the West Coast, and Midwest. Why are you not concerned about the Nation of Islam recruiting for the coming "race war" , the attempts of people like La Raza to reclaim the Southwest. The huge numbers of gangs 100,000 in Chicago ( they are black and Latin) 70,000 in LA They would not be so kind to you should you stumble into their area You are my elder so I respect that, but you are one sided and misguided
Your full of shix. No one believes a thing you say, except your looney Liberal buddies... Idiot's like you make America's decision easy in Nov. 2012
Romney/Ryan. America Choice. the best choice.
Nattering Nabob of Negativity. What an Midiot.
And how exactly does insulting progress, albet slow, make you a better leader, because it doesn't. I can't bring myself to vote for a person who's campaign is about making the other guy look worse then themselves. Being president is about aspiring to the best of humanity, someone who believes in America, someone willing to be in the trenches with you. Someone who believes that every one of us, even the poorest of us has the right to be better, earn better.
After all this time, Barack Obama is the better man. And he doesn't have to tear down the other guy to make that point.
For starters, this isn't progress. In reality we are going backwards. With this current job report 96,000 jobs were created.....that means that there are roughly 100,000 more people without jobs that before the month started since we need 200,000 jobs created just to keep up with population growth.
PutAmericaFirst: I agree that the job report is not good as we hoped it would be. But, on the other hand, there are two million jobs being advertised and we still have only 96,000 filled. Why is that? Who are these unemployed? Do they not have the job skills for the high-tech, highly interdependent, post-industrial world of the 21st century? What do you suggest?
In the first place, it is Romney's own Republican Party that has stubbornly refused to pass a JOBS Bill. Don't blame Obama for that stupidity. Secondly, if Romney'Convention had been half as diverse or organized as Obama's, Romney would be getting a bounce. He has noone to blame but his own backers and planners. He sounds like a spoiled kid!
I am glad that they are not passing that terrible jobs bill that ruins the future for our children. Why does Obama hate the next generation so much?
He's so divisive. Way to fix things, willard. W already made it impossible for a white man to be taken seriously, now include all the cult leaders like willard, too. Who did he get to read it to him? His mommy, the die-blonde?
Celtic- We lived in Ga for 12 years, sorry but there still is a lot of hate and prejudiced there. But it's definitely not just a Southern thing, there is hate and prejudiced, everywhere. The rebel flag, brings up thoughts of slavery to me, and I'm not black.
And the KKK and white supremacist's sure have enjoyed a uptick in membership, since a Black Man was elected President!
Don't take anything personal, all republicans.... all democrats... all conservatives...
all Liberals... there is a lot of that on these vines!
The Confederate battle flag means different things to different people. According the SPLC there are around 3,000 active Klan members, hardly a threat. The are 100,000 gang members in Chicago- who are you more afraid of? You are 100% correct lots of racism and it cuts both ways, white people are not the only ones capable of this. I have experienced first hand racial taunts while on business in New York and Chicago- "white boy" "cracker" and the like
So Mittens has to go to Gooberville Iowa and have an event in a Christian school to find a friendly audience??
When he comes to Colorado, he doesn't do Denver...but prefers Colorado Springs, hometown of Focus on The Family, the fringe religious hate group that says gays can be rehabilitated to become straight.
Right. Good luck with that.
Romney is totally out of touch with rational Americans. You fringe Evangelicals and crazy GOP TeaBaggers love him, but then your judgement has been clouded by your total disregard of the facts.
If you're not RICH, Romney's policies will Fu*k you!! Dummy Up!!!
Trust Mitt?
Okay. So why does the Republican wife cross the road on a red light? To nearly kill me and my mother, of course. Oh – but she said she had a green light. More Republican lies. My mistake? Trying to get my mother to a doctor’s appointment. We would have been there in plenty of time. I almost watched her die instead. So what’s the catch? It happened in a Republican town and Mitt Romney was Governor. The woman that ran the red light and her husband just happened to be two of the nineteen signers on Mitt Romney’s English Immersion Amendment. I tried to get the police to investigate, but it was like banging my head on a Republican brick wall. Mitt Romney feels for the little guy? What a joke. I had to take out an equity line on my house to get a car.
Hey, Mitt. Say hi to Helen for me.
hey Mitt, your whole career is based on cutting jobs, exporting jobs to the lowest bidder and loading companies with debt, while paying yourself handsomely and selling off the company to the highest bidder and laughing all the way to the bank. You're no President, keep your day job as a sleazy businessman.
funny. considering this:
Didn't take long to flip-flop on this one, eh?
have paul ryan and mitt ever tell the truth. mitt romney never stated any ideas for helping this economic but attack obama. i guess he will put the car in reverse and push the country over a cliff. could anyone tell me how mitt romney idea for helping this economic .the last i know obama has created more jobs than mitt romney as a 4 years governor state of mass. i guess he tell us after the election.
have paul ryan and mitt ever tell the truth. mitt romney never stated any ideas for helping this economic but attack obama. i guess he will put the car in reverse and push the country over a cliff. could anyone tell me how mitt romney idea for helping this economic .the last i know obama has created more jobs than mitt romney as a 4 years governor state of mass. i guess he tell us after the election.
have paul ryan and mitt ever tell the truth. mitt romney never stated any ideas for helping this economic but attack obama. i guess he will put the car in reverse and push the country over a cliff. could anyone tell me how mitt romney idea for helping this economic .the last i know obama has created more jobs than mitt romney as a 4 years governor state of mass. i guess he tell us after the election.
How many Jobs did multi-millionaire Mitt Romney create this month? A bunch! In China! Runaway Romney forgot what country he should thank for the laws he was able to usurp, and the people of the Middle Class he was able to cheat, in order to make his millions. It's just a question of time before Mitt will join his money in the off-shore realm he hides it in, never to return to the nation of equal citizens he bilked out of jobs, while he attacks Obama for creating jobs here! Mitt figures it doesn't make dollar sense, because it doesn't help him get more money if our wages go up!
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are the worst possible choice for our nation right now, and it is mind-boggling how many people still cling to the Republican Party as it aims to repeat the mistakes it made less than four years ago, with the same advisors behind their team!
Haven't you Republicans been fooled enough? Or did George Bush's remark cornfuse you? Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice.....hell if I know...let's just try the same thing again and hope for a different outcome. Why don't you wake up and yell at your Congressmen who refuse to negotiate for jobs? Or better yet, send a shot across their bow and vote the Republicans out for one term! After all, you can vote them back in once they get through their rehab.....
Voter suppression is under assault! The Ohio Secretary of State is on his heels and without Ohio, Romney and Ryan fade away.
Obama is up in most of the swing states and his percentage is widening.
Thank you, Independents, for making the right choice.
Now let's send the Tea Baggers in Congress back to their rest homes.
So Mitt is upset that Obama, or so he claims, did not do what he refused to? Do as I say not as I do?
Obama did not have to say explicitly what he was going to do, Clinton did that for him by parting out policy in ways that average viewers could understand it. All Mitt did was give a sermon about his life, some of his ideas not policies, and claimed he would create 12 million jobs but gave no points on how he was going to do so.
All he did was say "I think Bush Jr. had the right idea and I plan to return to, and even move further in that direction in some cases, his policies".
It's not that Obama didn't want to say. It's that Obama doesn't know his asx from his elbo on what to do. He has done nothing for 4 years..
America has already kicked Obama to the curb. Just waiting for Nov. 2012.
TJefferson-1649275
you sound just like a 74 year old looney liberal who has enjoyed the free ride.
Obama is trailing in every poll across the country.
America has already said bye, bye Obama..
Just waiting for Nov. 2012.
Lucky, too bad you are wrong.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_romney_vs_obama-1171.html
Obama is up 0.7 points from last night when he was tied with Romney.
Obama Plan for America - 500 billion in new taxes.
Lucky, I don't think you are all that far off. Just wait until Obamacare goes into effect and we will all see the real cost of it. The gov't never estimates the true cost of healthcare accurately. It is going to be a fiscal nightmare.
Obama Plan for America - added 6 trillion more to the deficit in just 3 years