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Emmanuel Dunand / AFP - Getty Images
Mitt Romney holds a rally at Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, on Thursday.
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Under the bright lights of a high school football field here in Northwest Ohio, Mitt Romney's opposition to the 2009 auto bailout reared its head again as a campaign issue that could help decide the result of this critical swing state.
Sen. Rob Portman, introducing Romney, brought up the bailout, telling a crowd of more than 10,000 supporters that "we need to talk about this tonight" in an effort to clear up what he said were dishonest attacks by the president at the last debate.
"First, it was President Obama who actually took GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy. That’s a fact," Portman said. "Second, Mitt Romney did propose government help. He proposed government guarantees for loans. He proposed the government backing up the warranties, and folks, all the independent fact checkers who have looked at this agree: President Obama was wrong."
While on the trail today, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney accused President Obama's campaign of not having a plan, and ignored questions about Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's controversial remarks on rape. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
Romney did not mention the bailout explicitly, but did voice his support for the U.S. auto industry, saying he would stand up to China on trade issues that affect auto companies and mentioning reports today that automaker Jeep was considering moving its operations entirely overseas.
"I saw a story today that one of the great manufacturers of this state, Jeep, now owned by the Italians, is thinking of moving all production to China. I will fight for every good job in America. I'm going to fight to make sure trade is fair, and if it’s fair, America will win," Romney said.
Democrats quickly seized on any mention of the auto industry to reinforce Obama's bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, looking to capitalize on an issue they believe is particularly resonant among voters in this corner of Ohio.
"While Barack Obama bet on the American worker and saved the American auto industry and more than one million jobs, Mitt Romney would have just ‘let Detroit go bankrupt.’ Voters in Ohio won’t forget how—at a make or break moment for one of America’s key industries—Mitt Romney would have turned his back and watched GM and Chrysler go under," Obama campaign spokesperson Lis Smith said in a statement.
The Obama campaign also forwarded reporters a statement from a Chrysler spokesperson claiming there were never plans to move assembly lines to China.
“Let’s set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China. It’s simply reviewing the opportunities to return Jeep output to China for the world’s largest auto market. U.S. Jeep assembly lines will continue to stay in operation,” Gualberto Ranieri, a spokesman for Chrysler said in the statement posted on the automakers' blog.
Reuters, Getty Images
In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters.
Coincidentally, after the Thursday night rally, a group of Detroit newspapers announced they would be endorsing President Obama, shredding Romney for his position in opposition to the bailout.
"It is an unforgivable and unconscionable [sic] position by a man with the audacity to claim himself a son of Detroit. Romney may have grown up here, but he left long ago," the editorial on MLive.com read in part.
All this serves to highlight how the auto bailout legacy continues to be a political minefield for Romney here in the industrial Midwest.
On Friday, Romney will return to safer ground in Iowa where he is scheduled to deliver a speech on the economy, debt and deficits, which could serve as a summation of his views on the election's most important issue as the campaign moves into its final full week.
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President Obama signed the Democratic-sponsored Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act
giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute
fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan
Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud
that led to the economic meltdown.
http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7
Romney knows the headline will haunt him"Let Detroit go bankrupt" He also didn't believe homeowners should get any help.
Romney claims he saved the Olympics no we did with 1.5 billions in tax payer money, your welcome Romney.
Romney says look I ran a successful business, a business that invested in Co's waited a few years and "harvest" them for great profit, his word "harvest". Yes he made millions off of hard working Americans benefits and PENSIONS.
When I was Governor I was able to work with Democrats, no they chose to work with you, of course than you were voted in as Moderate Mitt, you tell everyone what they want to hear. Why didn't you run for a second term, you had a 32% approval rating. You were gone out of the state the whole last year. Why is Romney losing in Mass by 30 points because they know the real you, not the Romney this week.
This momentum story is another Rove and fox news spin.
President Obama will be reelected, I hope Romney leaves and goes visit's his money in the Caymans! Oh and take price Tag with you!
O&JOE
Pass the butter pleaser
Romneys Toast
Obama Biden 2012
Mitt "Romnesia" Romney the American version of Pinocchio has the longest nose in the world! His nose grows every time he utters a word from his mouth! LIE, LIE, LIE, LIE, LIES!
Have you seen the lies Obama has been spouting lately? Bengazi IS one big lie, a deadly one.
As I look at these headlines today I find 5 pro-obama stories with two of them being fluffy dribble and one anti Romney story. MSNBC and NBC, I hope advertisers start switching channels, your bias is a disgrace to journalism.
Obama Says GM couldn't get a loan in 2009, what he means
is GM couldn't get a no interest sweetheart loan from
commercial lenders. Only Obama was sucker enough to give
GM That deal.
WHAT WAS DIFFERENCE from Romney's plan and what Obama did....ZERO.... they did go bankrupt of June 2009 after Obama was elected, money was given, and warranties are back by the US Govt........FORD TOOK NO MONEY. ALTHOUGH MOST THE MONEY WENT TO THE UNIONS AND INVESTORS GOT SCREWED.
The difference was Romney wanted them to only access PRIVATE money, which was unavailable for years.
The President did exactly what Romney said should be done. Oops are the auto workers sooo stupid that they can not see this?
Willard favored government guarantees of private loans, BUT...
There was no private loan money! Banks froze their cash for months, from 2008 into 2010, and banks would not release their cash for loans, or even transfer overnight.
So...in effect he would have let the auto plants shutdown and go out of business.
So, if you're not voting, you are leaving this critical decision to others. You're letting your neighbor vote for you. You're letting your grandpa vote for you. You're letting your ex-boyfriend vote for you. You're letting your crazy Uncle Charlie vote for you.
Even if you believe the candidates' differences are not overwhelming, there is always a choice. Even if "you'd rather there was someone else," there is always a choice.
And think about it - who benefits if they can keep you from voting?
I'm not letting that happen with my vote.
Sorry....I just can't vote for a guy who believes in magic underwear.
Sorry... I will take the Mormon over the Muslim.
Hussein DID NOT save the auto industry. Using taxpayer money, he saved the pensions of the UAW. We will re-visit the auto bailout again.
Sure Joe, now you go tell the people of Ohio that "fact" and see where the hell it gets you pal.
Anybody that was paying any attention knows that lying ass Mitt just like the rest of the repuke party was against the bailout and now he's doing what he do best lie, lie, and lie attempting to take credit for the bailout. I huess he will eventually say he didn't say let the housing market hit bottom.
Governor Romney said that he would want the automakers to through bankruptcy first and restructure as other companies have. Assistance after that would be on the table. Why would you want to throw good money into a bad situation. Facts are important, votes are important.
Romney wanted private investors to bailout GM motors u spin it how u choose. again anyone that was paying attention new excactly what he was saying.
You do know ...the only private investers with the capital, knowledge and desire ALL were foreign owned and backed by state sponsored corporations...Fiat for example.
Great plan Romney...let's sell a whole industry at cut rate prices to a foreign entity.
Romney was right about bailing out the auto unions, which is what Odumba did, Ohio sucks anyway, and I'm driving my American made Honda, and loving it.
I just wonder what Romney's new tax plan will be? 87 CEO's of American corporations are urging congress not to extend the Bush tax cuts, or raise taxes to deal with national debt. So much for Romney's 5 trillion dollar tax cut. It's not even election day yet, and it looks like one promise may already have bit the dust.
tweet....you left out the part where they also said:
"They called on a financially and politically realistic solution, according to the Wall Street Journal, that includes limiting healthcare spending, making social security solvent, and “comprehensive and pro-growth tax reform, which broadens the base, lowers rates, raises revenues, and reduces the deficit.”
They are calling for significant cuts in spending.
"Broaden the base" = Translation - More people paying taxes tomorrow than today
Romney's plan is to lower taxes on key segments, cut spending and reform that tax code to create job growth, which includes increasing revenue through tax reform...
Hmmm.....sounds alot more like their position than Obama (increase taxes, increase spending, complicate the tax code (Obamacare)......
I'll take Romney's plan thank you.....
Why has America lost sight of the fact that if you create a dynamic economy that is not burdened by high taxes and strangling regulations that revenues increase.
When businesses generate more profits, the amount of taxes they pay, even at lower rates, goes up!
What are our schools teaching today?
Oh, I remember, ...me, me, me, give me, give me, give me.....
Wait....that sound like Obama in the last debate!
Sad....Sad....Sad....
The auto bailout is history....We need to look to the future including Ohio.
We have 4 years of failed leadership that must be dealt with and Gov. Romney is the man for the job.
All you will get from Obama is 4 more years of failure on the promises that he is now making.
Don't let it happen.
The auto bailout is NOT history. GM owes the American taxpayer a considerable sum. While I anticipate they will pay it back, we should not let this go.
Yes, we need to look to the future for Ohio. During the GOP reign of economic terror, Ohio watched as THOUSANDS of manufacturing jobs LEFT the state for China. All sanctioned by a REPUBLICAN GOV of Ohio, DUBYA, and the GOP corporate tax credit for doing so. The GOP HURT Ohio.
Cleveland - Will go for Obama
Toledo - Will go for Obama
Columbus - NO QUESTION it will go for Obama
Cincinnati - 20 years of voting straight republican until 2008. They voted for Obama. I predict they will go for Romney this time, but it will NOT be enough
P.S. I lived in the Ohio Valley for 15 years...
This is called cognitive dissonance. Do you believe we should look towards the future and ashew the past? Or do we focus on the past only to the extent it fits our politics.
It'sAboutTime....you forgot to mention that from 2007-2011 (the time period you are referencing) that Ohio's Governor Ted Strickland was a Democrat.
Oops!
How due measure failure, while other countries are struggling the U.S. is still growing maybe not as fast as u repukes would like but nonetheless the country is getting better not worse.
Northwest Ohio where Jeep is located (Toledo)? Isn't that the division rumored to be headed to China post-bailout of Chrysler?
This article is more wishful thinking of a rotten scumbag liberal propaganda artist. Mitt is so terrible because of his belief that the auto industry should have been allowed to restructure in bankruptcy instead of bailing out the unions... He's really hurting in uber-blue Michigan because of that stance too, right?
They will be back in bankruptcy court once the government is propping them up for political gain.
Reality and liberalism doesn't jibe.
Shoutout: new headline today, economy grows (and will continue to grow). Women of both parties, time to think about your rights that will be lost if Romney and a republican majority are elected. And guess what, your reproductive rights are tied to your economic welfare. If you can't access birth control or control your own bodily functions, you cannot control your destiny and your part of the economy. And you blue collar guys, wake up, Romney and the republicans will not do anything to help you. They even try to block minimum wage bills. Its all about the 1% guys and sorry to say but you are not up there. Romney will say anthing to get your vote. OBAMA 2012
NBC - correct your title to show that you are not lying yourselves....
"Obama's lies about Romney position on auto bailout haunt Romney"
Romney's position on the auto bailout is in black and white and in his "editorial". There is no reason for NBC to perpetuate the Obama position on this editorial which is to say they are lying like Obama is.
Romney did advocate bankruptcy.
Obama took Chrysler and GM into bankruptcy.
Romney advocated for federal guaranteed, private loans which both companies would have to pay back and that this would be used to allow both companies to access during bankruptcy. This is called a structured bankruptcy and the companies would be liable to pay the money back and the taxpayer would only be on the hook if the companies failed.
Obama forced both companies into bankruptcy, destroyed decades of precedent in handling bankruptcies by nearly wiping out existing bond and share holders and elevating a union, the UAW, to a place of equity which they never earned. The taxpayer is on the total hook for the costs of the bankruptcy and only stand to be made whole on the principle (both companies will never pay a dime of interest on the money!) if and when the company's stock sells above the IPO price. Chrysler, however, had their share purchased by Fiat and the Federal Government was paid - but they still owe $1.5 billion. Government Motors sold shares of stock at $33 per share - the union sold theirs at around $38 per share and the Federal Government had a sweetheart deal for Government Motors where we sold some of the shares at a LOSS of $3 per share instead of taking advantage of the same market situation that the UAW did! To date the UAW, direct financial supporters of Barack Hussein Obama and the DNC, are the only group to benefit from the bailout - they made a profit and have screwed the taxpayer.
Right now Government Motors shares are trading at $23.63 which means that the taxpayers have been hosed by nearly $10 per share since the IPO - we'll have to sell our shares at $53 to $55 now just to breakeven. Obama's plan will hose the taxpayer from between $14 - 24 billion to save a company - that is about the same amount that Romney would have LENT GM in his structured bankruptcy - and GM would have paid interest. But we wouldn't have lost the outrageous amount on GM that Obama did - since now we know that Government Motors has survived. Under Obama's best situation, we'll get soaked.
What NBC doesn't tell you is that in June of this year, the Government Motors CEO was CROWING about building 70% of its vehicles OVERSEAS! Barack Obama is now one of the largest OFF SHORING / OUT SOURCING CEO's in history! Don't be fooled - jobs lost prior to the GM bankruptcy are not recovered by this bailout - Government Motors has simply shifted production to China and used upwards of $5 billion of the bailout dollars to EXPAND Chinese operations. Another $1 billion (at minimum) was spent to save and prop up Opel in GERMANY. Obama's bailout did precious little to save or to create any American jobs - but over 10% of the dollars went OFF SHORE - and GM saved Buick instead of Pontiac even though in the US Pontiac handily outsold Buick. The reason behind saving Buick is because Buicks are big in China and Opel is being rebadged into our Buicks!
Romney would have had a structured bankruptcy where a business plan for America would have been established and management and efficiency changes would have been made to make GM whole and on the right track - under Obama, there were no such big wholesale operational and management changes - most of those management changes were promoting idiots from the old GM to higher positions and not to bring in fresh outside talent (read about Ford and how their recovery is different). Right now Government Motors is the old GM with half the divisions and most of the idiots making the same poor decisions that drove GM into the ground. GM of China is what is keeping this company afloat, not Government Motors of North America - this company is not streamlined in development and lags behind Ford by at least half a decade and Ford is ahead of Government Motors by at least that much in having new engines and is a decade ahead in integration of worldwide development systems.
Obama is lying - Government Motors wasn't saved - it is LINGERING. It is the same trainwreck it was before he forced it into bankruptcy.
Which simply didn't exist. If private equity wanted to do the job they would have. They didn't.
Private equity also knows when there is a successful business model...
They wanted to invest but they also did not want to deal with the outrageous union labor demands and the failed business model...
Obama does not....
Solyndra and all of the failed "green" companies are living proof of this.....
What are you smoking???
Unions are not the reason of the failure of Solyndra or many other green energy companies.
First and foremost is the impossibility of competition with China due to the artificially low Yuan.
You remember China don't you??
It's the country Romney actually created the most jobs in.
You repukes don't seem to like good news. Anything good the man has done u make it negative.
Come on Colorado and Ohio. Give Romney a chance. Obama has got to go.
Ohio - Obama win
Colorado - Toss Up, but I bet it goes for Obama.
Iowa - Clearly for Obama
Wisconin - Obama
Obama WIN in the elctoral college. We can't risk giving R$MNEY a chance period. I like my civil rights.
Others would like a job with Romney.
What civil rights do you think you'll lose with Romney exactly? I guess you're buying into the same old scare tactics the Dems throw out every four years. Sorry, but JOBS are the priority this election.
Jen, I assume you are female.
Please educate yourself on the true GOP platform.
The ONLY U.S. senator Romney has endorsed wants YOU to carry your rapist's baby to term.
Good luck with the depression and suicide and of course , medical bills you will get no help with because it wasn't a "legitimate" rape.
Who called Romney an "Etch-a-Sketch"???-----Santorum
Who called Romney a "Vulture Capitalist"???-----Perry
Who called Romney/Ryan's voucher plan "Social Engineering"???------Gingrich
Who "invented" Obamacare???----Romney
You don't need to listen to the democrats, you can listen to the republicans
For once.
Exactly why I'm voting for Ron Paul.
Ohio, Mitt Romney would have not lost your jobs. Quit listening to that liar and cover-up artist Obama.
Romney will get you more take home pay and job security.
And how is he going to do it?
It's pretty disgusting that the (R)s are pointing the finger at GM and now at Chrysler for building factories in China so they can sell cars to the Chinese.
This is actually a case of American success (or, in the case of Chrysler today, Italian success), but instead of being honest, they try to twist it to a zero-sum game whereby the only way they can be opening plants in China is if they are closing them in the U.S., which is simply not the case.
Kudos for Chrysler for stepping forward and telling the truth. It's Mitt's Kryptonite.
@Mark L-464288
You really should read the whole article, so you don't end up looking like a fool.
This is from the article:
“Let’s set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China. It’s simply reviewing the opportunities to return Jeep output to China for the world’s largest auto market. U.S. Jeep assembly lines will continue to stay in operation,” Gualberto Ranieri, a spokesman for Chrysler said in the statement posted on the automakers' blog.