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Subscribe to RSSIn Florida, President Obama slammed Romney, arguing the GOP candidate's math doesn't add up. Meanwhile, a pizza parlor owner swept the president off his feet. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Hours after his opponents Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan did a Sunday morning TV show blitz, President Barack Obama criticized them for not offering more specifics on how they would keep revenue stable while not raising taxes on the wealthy.
“Governor Romney and his allies tell us that we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions on new tax breaks for the wealthy. Listen, you’ve got to do the math because when my opponents were asked about it today, they couldn’t. It was like two plus one equals five,” Obama told a crowd of more than 3,000 in a gymnasium at the Florida Institute of Technology here.
When asked during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” what tax loopholes he would eliminate, Romney got no more specific than telling host David Gregory, “high income taxpayers are going to have fewer deductions and exemptions.”
On ABC News’ “This Week,” Ryan said Romney and he would consult with Congress before deciding which loopholes to cut. “We want to do this with the consent of the elected representatives of the people and figure out what loopholes should stay or go,” he said.
Of their lack of specifics, Obama said, “That’s not bold leadership, that’s bad math.”
Ever mindful of his local audience, Obama also focused heavily on Medicare, an important issue to the 17.6 percent of Florida’s population over age 65 – more than four percentage points over the national average.
He cited a new study by Harvard Professor David Cutler that found seniors who qualify for Medicare beginning in 2023 would see higher premiums over the course of their retirement under the Romney/Ryan plan, which would give seniors the option of getting a voucher to help pay for private insurance in addition to the traditional government-run program.
Cutler, one of the Obama campaign’s chief health care advisers in 2008, conducted the study on behalf of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal advocacy organization.
“Basically your profits would decline by the thousands so their profits could rise by the billions,” Obama said of the study’s conclusion.
The Romney campaign responded with a statement from spokesman Ryan Williams calling the study "discredited."
"President Obama’s latest false attacks are a sign of desperation. Only one candidate in this race has robbed today’s Medicare of $716 billion to pay for Obamacare – Barack Obama. He has done nothing to reform Medicare for the long haul and prevent it from going bankrupt, and on his watch family health care premiums have increased by nearly $2,500," the statement read in part.
In Melbourne, the president also mentioned another issue important to voters on this slice of Florida’s coast, whose economy is buoyed in part by the space industry.
“Here on the Space Coast, we started a new era of American exploration that is creating more jobs right here,” Obama said, noting the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars last month.
He warned that Republicans would stifle the research and development that his administration has encouraged.
“This is where we’ve got a choice. We could, as the House Republican budget proposes, cut back on research and technology or we can continue to be at the cutting edge because that’s what we’ve always been about,” he said.
The president is now on his way to West Palm Beach for the fourth and final stop on his two-day Sunshine State campaign swing, after which he’ll return to the White House – hopefully, he said this afternoon, in time to catch Sunday Night Football.
“We intend to be finished to get home in time for kickoff,” he told the crowd in Melbourne.
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we are so far in debt and issuing so much new debt, the fed needs to print money to buy it..
Thanks to Obama and his azzhole party and administration.
You must not have watched the convention. Government is the answer. We need a larger government. Obama only added 130,000 government jobs. That needs to be a million. We need more revenue. A national sales tax is the answer. You can never have enough taxes.
@Doug-Wright Doug that's is all we need is more Government workers sitting on their a$$es doing nothing eating cracklings all day.
Save America vote Romney -Ryan 2012
God forbid we have a successful, wealthy businessman in the Whitehouse. Let's find an unsuccessful, nobody ... that has no experience in biz at all. Oh wait ... we already have that!
Open Letter to Willard,
Hey Willard, I want to see your tax returns please.
P.S. as a Deacon of that cult you call a Religion could you please ask the retards that you send peddling their schwinns around my neighborhood to spew the Mormon propaganda to cease? If so you'll get my vote. Thank You and my apologies if some of them are your sons..
Democrats want to see what one looks like. We already have a Muslim in the White House but that's OK.
can i see your tax returns? romneys tax returns are a non-issue, just as obamas birth certificate or college transcripts. only the stupid are concerned with either, instead of real issues like the economy and jobs. if romney didnt pay his taxes, as prescribed by law, the IRS would have audited him. no way greedy uncle sam is going to let their bread and butter rich folks not cough it up to pay the government coiffers, especially under a social dem administration... hey look shiny metal object!
You're a Deacon? You're a disgrace.
Please do not blame our President for the things he says. After all we all know that the truth hurts and people say the darndest thing when they are hurt. Please also remember that as a Lame Duck President he will feel cornered and you know the old expression "Never Corner a Rat"
To start, Obama is a liar and chief. He cant count or we wouldnt be in this trouble. He doesnt know who his friends are because Clinton hates him and loves himself. Ryan talked this morning to NORA and she tried to get him all messed up with his numbers and he shoved them right back in her face. He explained the difference in what he voted for and the numbers. I cant help that she is so dumb she didnt know what he was talking about. Romney is going to smash Obama when they debate. Biden is going to cry all the way home. Obama is a now a day Hitler.. he speaks and all you idiots listen but dont hear a thing. You just love his howdy dowdy ears.
Not me, Obama is a disgrace to American. The people who want to vote for him again are such morons. There are more morons in this Country than I thought.
They are just blinded by this idiots chicklet teeth when he grins.
You have nothing to stand on so as usual you put blame on somebody else. Well...."You can fool some of the people, some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." This November, the people you were unable to fool will be voting you out of office.
the amazing obozo...350, 000 people quit looking 95,000 actually get a job
Taxing more and getting rid of the work requirement for unemployment is going to work ? Letting the Unions dictate their compensation with the Tax Payers footing the Bill ? President Unemployment you better find a lot of people dumb enough to buy into your unsuccessful 4 year presidency ! LMFAO
This president is the biggest piece of chit I have ever seen. The moron thinks he's god. I couldn't capitalize God in the same sentence as, you know who, because he is no God. He doesn't even acknowledge God anymore. Has anyone noticed. Just like his preacher, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, G. daming America. Yeah, nice guy we have for a president.
Obama should slam himself, he's such a dip@!$%#. Obama, your like the pot, calling the kettle black. MORONIC IDIOT.
Refusing GOD three time WOW, this will be rehashed for the next 2 months. baracks foreign policy BOW to all. We all know o can count he spent 5 TRILLION, lest we forget. 96 -0 for this aswipes budget. This Boy is done.
These idiots can't even run a convention. And people wonder why the country is in such trouble.
So... The Republican Whitehouse pair want to keep their loophole tax cuts and budgetary plans a secret until after the election and then discuss them with the 'do nothing / achieve nothing' Congress. That's some plan.
obama and his cronies are critical of everybody who's smater then he his.
One has to wonder if the economic plan of Mr Ryan and Mr Romney is so poor, why do over 400 economics plus five Nobel Laureates support the plan? I will place my trust in these people who are well versed in the subject, not a bunch of people who are both rude, impolite, and downright crass.
ok
obozonomics is working wonders in california, they just fell to 9th from 4th worlds largest economy
what do you expect from obama someone about to lose by a land side to two people that loves the country he hates .
Looking forward to 60 minutes when the Navy Seal that called Obama a liar about taking part in the Obama kill will be on. His book says that the Seals were very pissed that Obama twisted the truth and took the credit for something he had nothing to do with?? Also, very amusing ... the Seals called Joe Biden .."THE DRUNKEN UNCLE"
A taxpayer voting for Obama is like a Chicken voting for Col. Sanders....
And another 4 years of Obama and we all will be eating chicken &hit.
This is so simple it's a shame. Just like it was when Obama had his acceptance speech at the convention, and felt that ' his ' people would understand that he forgot to tell them that the new unemployment figures were out! H forgot, and his followers believed he forgot! Let's be honest for a minute, and say out loud that he didn't forget, and his followers didn't forget - they were hoping that the rest of Americans would never notice! Well folks, Mr's Romney, and Ryan, are doing the exact same type thing, only they really have plans, but don't dare talk specifics out loud, because Mr Obama would surely jump on them - and say that he was thinking about them all the time! He's not, you know. He doesn't have a clue...........
Boy, you got that right. Obama would steal their plans because the MORON OBAMA, never had a plan ever, and I do mean NEVER/EVER.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Time to end the Obama experiment...Last election, everyone was tired of the Bush BS.We get it, why not try someone with ZERO experience, no way we can re-elect Republicans right? Ok, but that was then, this is now. Obama is nothing but an articulate silver tounged Devil..I love the new PRO Obama commercial that says if Romney is elected, the Middel class is REALLY going to suffer???? Seriously? Who believes this stuff? Don`t know about the rest of you, but I am in the middle class and things are pretty tough now....sorry Obama, the experiment has run its course.
i'm ready to vote obama out and romney in. i'm also already ready to vote romney out for the next guy. one of these days, out of a country of 330 million (and maybe more depending on where obama is really from...birther joke LMAO), we're bound to get one who is worth voting for...
I'm middle class and I'm choking on Obama's presidency. The man is a clueless moronic idiot. All he want's to do is parade around with the title "President" He doesn't give a ratzazz about the American people.
Obama, you will never understand financial matters. This is why you ask such a question. You have no clue!
if 0b0z0 gets 4 more we will be 20 trillion in debt...
Debate if you wish but all we are waiting for is the final count. Romney is more dead than Lazarus. Bill Clinton saw to that.
trazmo/fala
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blah, blah, blah...
Romney/Ryan 2012