E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
MANSFIELD, OH -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered a scattershot attack on President Barack Obama on Monday, emphasizing a series of issues other than the economy.
Romney veered from his laserlike focus on the economy as several polls released in the aftermath of party conventions suggested that the incumbent president emerged with the advantage. But in looking to get his campaign back on track, the GOP nominee decided to discuss military issues and his commitment to keeping God in the public square, making his focus on the economy (an issue on which he enjoys an advantage over Obama) secondary.
Charles Dharapak / AP
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stands on a table as he addresses an overflow crowd as he campaigns at PR Machine Works in Mansfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012.
"I will be a president, if elected, that honors that pledge and all the pledges that I make," Romney said at the top of his remarks before a crowd of about 1,200 in swing state Ohio. "That pledge says that we are a nation under God, and if I am president of the United States -- when and if I become president of the United States -- I will not take God out of my heart, I will not take God out of the public square and I will not take it out of the platform of my party."
Romney also served up fresh lines attacking Obama for his handling of last summer's bipartisan deal to raise the debt limit, a deal reached with the approval of both the Republican-controlled house and the president. That deal called for automatic defense cuts to take place in January 2013 if lawmakers couldn't reach some other sort of deal to address the nation's mounting debt. Lawmakers failed to reach a consensus, and the defense cuts loom on the horizon.
In anticipation of the politically difficult defense cuts, Congress earlier this summer passed a law requiring the Obama administration to detail where cuts would fall if they were to reach fruition. But the Obama administration missed the deadline to report back to Congress, giving political fodder to Romney and other Republicans.
TODAY's Savannah Guthrie discusses the presidential election race with NBC's David Gregory, including the crucial battles in swing states. Gregory also talks about his "Meet the Press" interview with Mitt Romney.
"He won't describe all the jobs that are going to be lost -- no, not probably until after the election," Romney said. "It seems we found one secret relating to national security that he's willing to keep."
Here in Ohio, where the unemployment rate is 7.2 percent, nearly a full point better than the national average, a senior Romney campaign adviser insisted voters were still primarily dialed in to economic issues, including debt and the deficit, and that Romney's economic focus could persuade voters who had not made up their minds.
"The number one issue in Ohio is the same as, I think, the number one issue across the country, which is the economy," Romney senior adviser Kevin Madden told reporters after the event here.
To be sure, Romney, as per usual, laid out his five-point plan for the middle class during today's stop, and hit the president for what he claimed was the administration's lack of a job creation plan. But other economic-based elements of the Romney stump speech were absent, including any mention of welfare reform, and the once ubiquitous "You didn't build that" attack.
While campaign advisers downplayed the significance of Romney's time spent on non-economic issues today, at least one supporter told NBC news that kind of talk was exactly what Romney needed to win over undecided voters in the Buckeye State.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd takes a look at the recent poll numbers and campaign stumps made by both candidates.
John Goodwin, a retired firefighter who shares a mutual Mormon faith with Romney, said before the event that Romney needed to communicate his personal values better to wavering voters who don't yet feel they know and trust the man personally.
"If he can take those values and turn them into the presidency, our country will come back," Goodwin said.
In turn, the Obama campaign accused Romney of the very same secrecy for which he attacked Obama.
“What we saw today from Mitt Romney is more of the same evasiveness that has defined his campaign. He said he would repeal Obamacare, but didn’t offer a solution for the 89 million Americans who could be denied coverage if they have a pre-existing condition. He said he would cut taxes, but didn’t say how he’d pay for $5 trillion in tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires without raising taxes on the middle class. And he said he would put students first, but left out how his deep cuts to education would hurt schools. Mitt Romney knows it’s political suicide to level with the American people about his ‘secret’ agenda, so he’s evading the truth at every turn," said Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for the president's re-election campaign.
Leave a Comment:
Every Romney speech begins with an attack on Obama because Romney has no policy except taxing and the ending of Medicare
Almost every speech from Obama begins with a diversion with no mention of the economy and his plan to address our problems. It is Obama who doesn't have policies to talk about because he has nothing. Romney was criticized for not talking about his plan. Where was Obama's? Where is his criticism for not mentioning a plan. More dramatic, empty talk to feed some more energy to the Obama drones! And they buy into it. Sad!!
Dee I read your nonsense before. Little rants just stupid. Obama's plan to kill bin Laden? Worked. Ending a war? Worked. Romney ended a company to failure and his state to a failure. The Governor said so and Romney was nearly impeached in his own state. They hated him
Please explain how Romney ended a company to failure and his state to failure??? I must be missing something! How is balancing the budget as Governor with an 85% Democratic legislature and leaving his state with a huge surplus a huge failure. Yes, great reason to impeach him isn't it? Obama should take lessons from Romney on balancing budgets! Impeached? I have never heard anything so ridiculous!!
Dee Patriot ask Romney about the TRUTH of an accident in France.... HIS GOD MOMENT!!!! THE TRUTH..... not his LIES!!!! Ask Romney why he took his name off of Bain Corporation so he could run for President. Ask Romney why Donald Trump and his Las Vegas Gambler Billionaire are supporting and financing him.. Ask Romney why would a man who is a self claimed millionaire would want to run for President making so much less money and such a headache job it is.. Why did Romney Forget to mention our Troops in his acceptance speech... I could go on with many many more... oh yes one more.. ask Romney why his Father said if a man dont show his TAXES he has something to HIDE.... ask Ann Romney why she refers to all other Americans as "You People"... a term of common place if that person feels others are inferior to them...
Because he cares about this country just like he cared about saving the Olympics!!
Why did Obama forget to mention his plan to turn the economy around during his acceptance speech which you all found so inspiring??? Oh yes, because there is none! Just an empty suit with empty words!!! This is your President!
OMG. Who has the blinders on? I agree with you that he cares about his country, but he cares about it in a way that you just won't see. The Olympics? Please. I wonder how much money his friends and lobbyist associates made off the Olympics. Dee, the bottom line with Romney is dollar signs.
How much money did Romney beg from the Federal Govt. to save the Olympics with and saving the Olympics was a rather minor job in the grand scheme of things. Why is he not giving God credit for saving the Olympics. Surely his God had a hand in it. In fact I don't think I have heard him give credit to God for anything.
Speaking of Gawd:
Why doesn’t Jesus make an Appearance at Half Time of da Super Bowl? Wouldn’t that answer a lot of Questions and make a lot of Ministers, Priest’ etc. real Nervous.
Based on the "Vatican" Actions, it’s ok to be a “Pedophile” as long as you are Raping little boys. However being Gay is a Sin, Unacceptable and will not be Tolerated!
Why does da Pope surround himself with Armed Body Guards? Doesn’t he have Faith in Gawd?
Remember Folks….Da more you Donate Da more your Prayers are Answered.
Why do People become Really Religious when they get Really Old or go to Prison?
Why doesn't these Republican TeaBilly Conservative Religious Freaks demand to see a Birth Certificate for Gawd?
The Biggest Threat to all Religions…………………..Da Truth!
Folks, Todd Akin is da “Poster Child” for da Good Ole Boys Club and……………….
Who just Blocked da Campaign Finance Reform Bill?
Who just Blocked Obamas Job Bill?
Who just Rewrote and put a Loophole in da House Version of da Stock Act. You know da Billl that would make it Illegal for Politicians do be involved in Insider Trading Antics. How many people have gone to Prison for this and yet they think they are “Exempt” from da Law.
And………here’s more since President Obama Took Office:
Tax on Companies that ship jobs overseas- A bill that would have eliminated a tax break that companies get when they ship jobs overseas. Republicans blocked this, allowing companies to keep the tax break they receive when they ship jobs to other countries.
The Small Business Jobs Act -would give LOCAL, community banks access to billions of dollars to loan to small businesses. Republicans blocked this, then attempted to block it a second time and failed.
Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”- Would have repealed the law that forces gay and lesbian services members to lie about their sexuality and gives the military the right to discharge soldiers based on their sexuality. Republicans blocked this many times and Democrats were finally able to pass it with the support of just 2 Republicans.
You Guessed it…………Cantor, Boehner, McConnell and da rest of them Republican TeaBilly Conservative Politicians.
Can you imagine da Shenanigans if Mitt “F da Poor” Romney and Paul “Middle Class Warfare” Ryan get Elected.
You BetCha…..Fer Sure.
Excellant Post.... OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
I support Romney in the upcoming election and think this is the wrong approach. Stay on the economy (see lost the American dream on todays MSNBC page) and you will win. Worry about these other issues and the election will be lost. Stand your ground and discuss the economy and jobs.
It is because Romney has no plan. Deflect!!! My tax returns? Deflect...you transcripts....your birth certificate..King of Deflection Romney
All talking here is a bit preliminary to the debates. Let's readdress then. For now, I'm heading home. This board is actually childish and mean-spirited to distraction.
So Romney should HIDE his positions on social issues. How American!!!
Romney took a bit of a beating from his Meet The Press Interview on Sunday so it makes sense that he would try and steer people away from that and move onto social issues. It's called "bait and switch" tactics.
If Romney wants to talk about God he is just crazy. Christians and Catholics all denounce the looney Book of Mormon Romney blesses.
The Mormon Church has bragged the Book of Mormon is “the most correct book on the face of the earth”. Those words were uttered for the first time by none other than Joseph Smith himself on Sunday, October 28, 1841.
“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
Flipper romney, Trust is earned, and you have not earned, even a very small amount of trust in this country, or for that matter, the world.
Forrest Gump said it clearly, STUPID IS AS STUID DOES. And romney, your stupid!
Romney can "talk the talk." But how about "walking the walk" by showing his taxes.
As the United States is working with Russia to dismantle the old Soviet nuclear arsenal, along comes WMD. Willard Mitt Dumbell twice identifies Russia, not as a global competitor and UN fly in the ointment, but as "our greatest global/political enemy". He hasn't paid attention to change in the world since Reagan was president, apparently.
Romney believes in manufacturing when it comes to the facts, and if we do not have a geo-political enemy, he will make one for us out of old parts. If the White House gets a call at 3:00 in the afternoon, or any other time, who do you trust to answer it? Perhaps, WMD who goes around the world with a solid gold foot in his mouth?
Nobody to date knows where Romney stands, but most everybody knows where he lies - right under his nose.
Folks if you think Romney has Gods blessing look at the looney Book of Mormon
1 Nephi 12:23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. (Joe Smith MORMON FOUND calls dark skinned people ugly, filthy, lazy, and perverts.)
This crazy stuff is right from the Book of Mormon
"Stay on the economy (see lost the American dream on todays MSNBC page) and you will win."
That would work except Romney has NO SOLUTIONS to improve the economy. He's simply Bush all over again -- more tax cuts for the richest of the rich, more deregulation, more militarily spending. Been there -- done that.
Willard is moving to the center and is beginning to sound a bit anxious. Promising to put God back into the public arena, from which he never left, appears to be another code phrase to his base that Romney will protect the US from the heathens and the non-American communist, marxist, whatever POTUS. As for pledges in general, Romney has failed to indicate that he has any principles at all. Romney want to give the Pentagon billions more than they want, with no details as to what and how to pay for it, and now complains that Obama can't detail cuts. Keeps his tax plan secret and then blames Obama for missing an arbitrary deadline set by Congress....which is silent on the issue. When he blames the administration for the sequester, he points the finger at the GOP leadership and Ryan that failed to accept Obama's $4T offer and bailed on the Simpson-Bowles report. What a moron.
Yes it is a shame that a Border Agent was killed, but it was OK for George Bush and the Republicans to send our men and women to Iraq to fight a useless war and kill so many of them and injured so many of them. But I guess in your eyes that didn't matter.
Amazing how the word God and Romney seem to rub wrong. Mormons believe in promoting Mormons. All their charities like to other Mormons. Jeff Warren types who hid child brides in compounds and use religion to molest them. This is what the "family value" Republicans embrace. Those who love God know the bible is the way to go not the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is seen by Mormons as the only word of God and his word changes as they see fit. God and Romney...a joke
dal, you have been called on this before. Warren Jeffs has absolutely NO connection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For you to continue lying about that disgusting excuse for a man by saying he is a member of the same church as Mitt Romney shows that either you are ignorant, or a bald faced liar. We believe in the Holy Bible, King James Version, and it is studied by youth and adults alike. Ask Catholic Charities how many times they have worked with the "Mormon" church. Ask the Red Cross. Ask the thousands and thousands of children in Africa who gave them their immunizations? Ask hurricane and flood victims who came first to help? Ask earthquake and tsunami victims if only "Mormons" were helped by our church. Your dishonest rant is old and tiresome. You post the same things on multiple threads. Be honest next time. Check your facts at mormon.org.
Another Democrat criminal taken out of office today:
Trenton, New Jersey, mayor arrested on corruption charges
"A Democrat who began his term in July 2010, Mack has been beleaguered by questions about public finance and accusations of cronyism.
Last May, his deputy mayor, Paul Sigmund IV, was arrested and charged with heroin possession and assaulting a police officer, which led to Sigmund's prompt resignation."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/10/justice/new-jersey-mayor-arrested/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
Somehow NBC missed the story.
try to stay on topic. There are plenty of state and local stories that don't make NATIONAL news sites.
It didn't miss. It is front page of msnbc website.
For the record I am glad they arrested this guy. It doesn't matter to me whether he is a Dem or a Rep. If he has done wrong he should be held accountable. But, don't try and even go there with your "Another". Take a look in your own "backyard". The list is long I assure you. Both parties have their rotten eggs.
MN GOP delegates bash Romney over Obamacare
Clint Eastwood was wrong, he can do that to himself?
All I can say.. is God will get them every time... Lesson here is DONT LIE!!! The debates in October are going to be something else to see and watch... probably be the best comedy hours on TV in a LONG time... LOL
http://marketday.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/10/13783060-hp-ups-layoff-plan-will-now-cut-29000-jobs?lite
HP ups layoff plan, will now cut 29,000 jobs
By Roland Jones, NBC News
"Computer maker Hewlett Packard now plans to lay off 29,000 employees as part of a multi-year restructuring plan, 2,000 more jobs than it earlier estimated, according to a regulatory filing Monday." ...
HP's CEO is Meg Whitman a fellow Mormon Millionaire and friend of Mitt Romney (helped in her run for Calif. Gov.). Yes, Bain Capital did adivse her on the restructuring plan.
Is that where you are going? Really? Blame Romney for the failures of another person's business dealings because that person happened to be a friend of Romney's?? Man are you reaching!!!!
Dee..., mutual back-scratching via Bain and the Mormon connection.
I rally don't know where you are going with this? So he wanted to help a friend who happens to be a Mormon? So what??? The pettiness on these boards amaze me! C'mon!
Your naivete is what amazes me.
Score another one for the TeaCongress, as if the HP layoffs aren't helping enough.
........................................................................................................................................................................
H.R. 3012: Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011
112th Congress, 2011–2012
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, to increase the per-country numerical limitation for family-sponsored immigrants, and for other purposes.
Sponsor:
Rep. Jason Chaffetz [R-UT3] [[[Utah Tea Party]]]
Status:
Passed House
........................................................................................................................................................................
Supposedly this is needed because there aren't enough skilled U.S. workers (?). They aren't being hired because the HR departments now advertise that applicants be currently employed at the same skill level as the opening. Out of work for more a than week (if that long) and your application goes into the trash can. These tricks are nothing new, a consulting firm specializes in training HR Departments in how to get around all the EEO and H1B pre-requisites to qualify for hiring a foriegn worker.
Around the time of the 2010 Congressional Elections Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch blocked a Senate Bill by Sen. Dick Durbin that would have imposed tarriffs on imported goods that competed with U.S. manufactured products. Forget about 'Made in the USA' and American workers by the GOP.
This is probably another one of those Harry Reid blocked Job Creation bills that the GOP is complaining about.
Ann Romney says, "You know, again, I'm going to talk to you about the economy and about job creation, and about how my husband is the right person for the right time. This is going to be an election that is very important for women, and we are going to make sure that their economic prosperity is more certain under a President Romney."
But when he gets to Ohio, "Non-economic issues dominate Romney's pitch to Ohioans".
These two want it both ways. Ann says her husband is focused only on the economy and jobs. No additional questions please, because no matter how many times and how many ways you people frame the question, I'm not going to answer because it's none of your business and that's all I'm going to say, no matter what. Period.
Mitt says he wants to be Pastor-In-Chief, a government job creator (more military spending!) and the terminator of the Affordable Care Act, among other things which he can't be specific about at this time - but most certainly will after the election. Count on it. Maybe. Depending on the audience.
Could two people be more opaque and duplicitous? They want everyone to just take their word for everything, no questions asked nor answered. Like the American public are hired help that they, unfortunately , must somehow deal with in order to win the Presidency. Their speech, body language and haughty attitude says it all. "You people, really!"
The attitude also stems from their position as Cult Overlords directing the flock of faithful..
Did he and gov Kasich talk about their plan to wipe out all unions, all worker rights, the minimum wage, OSHA and the EPA before they bring jobs back from the countries Mitt took them to?
Yeah, maybe he will visit and art school and talk about eliminating the National Endowment for The Arts
Why not? He has already stated that he wants to defund PBS. PBS offers some the best educational programming as well as the arts that can be seen on television.
Why are so many giving so much money to this guy.........and as for the God thing when did we all ask for our government to get into that. Sad that so many in small communities have this God/government combination in their thinking.
The line, one nation under god was NOT in the original pledge as Francis Bellamy wrote it. It was added by some goof like Romney at a later date.
I see the republicans continue to focus like a laser on the economy. lol.
Those who want more religion in politics might enjoy moving to iran. Myself, I think we should stick with the Constitution as the basis for our laws.
All Romney does is talk about the economy. The one speech he makes and discusses something else and it becomes front page news!! Why should it? Obama never talks about the economy in 90% of his speeches and I think we know why, don't we?
Tell Obama this! I think he missed the memo!
if you think obama has violated the constitution, feel free to start a lawsuit.
yeah, romney has only touched on social issues ONCE? lol.
Good points @dal!
Here's another good read:
Love the photo of Willard addressing the "overflow" crowd. I suppose a teacup can overflow. How many dozens were there anyways?