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TAMPA, FL -- Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney reined in his criticism of President Barack Obama on Wednesday, signaling a softer tone at the outset of a three-stop swing through Florida coinciding with the president's trip to New Jersey to survey hurricane damage.
Returning to the campaign trail after cancelling several campaign events out of respect to victims of Hurricane Sandy, Romney joined several prominent Florida Republicans in blending a pitch for storm recovery support with more traditional political fanfare.
In his first formal campaign event (Romney morphed one planned stop in Ohio into a "relief event" on Tuesday), Romney struck hopeful notes.
"You should know I could not be in this race if I were not an optimist. I believe in the future of this country I know we have huge challenges, but I’m not frightened by them, I’m invigorated by the challenge," Romney told supporters gathered in an airplane hangar here near the close of his remarks. "We’re going to take on these challenges we’re going to overcome them!"
As the storm cleanup begins, the Republican presidential candidate is facing questions about his position on the federal government's role in disaster relief. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
And Romney included an entreaty for donations to the Red Cross as the East Coast reels from the impact of the hurricane earlier this week. (Romney himself made a donation to the Red Cross, an aide told NBC News.)
"If you have an extra dollar or two, send them along and keep the people who are in harms – who have been in harms way, who’ve been damaged either personally or through their property, keep them in your thoughts and prayers," Romney said. "We love all of our fellow citizens. We come together in times like this and we want to make sure that they have a speedy and quick recovery from their financial and in many cases, personal loss."
Romney was joined on the trail by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the latter of whom noted that Floridians are more familiar with hurricanes than most of the nation, and urged the roughly 2,000 attendees here to pay back the generosity they have experienced after past storms.
At a campaign event in Tampa Bay, Florida, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney promotes a five-point plan for growing the economy.
"People are going to be living with the aftermath of the storm, and so our hearts and our prayers go out to them, and also our help," Rubio said. "If you see on the screen the number you can text the Red Cross and make your donation. We have been the beneficiary of these donations in the past. Let's make sure we pay it forward for our neighbors and fellow Americans up north who are suffering."
Bush, who had to handle numerous hurricanes during his time as governor, also waded into the politics of disaster relief, suggesting that local governments contributed more to recovery efforts than the federal government.
"My experience in all this emergency response business is that it is the local level and the state level that really matters," he said to applause. "That if they do their job right the federal government part works out pretty good."
Brian Snyder / Reuters
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney greets audience members at a campaign rally in Tampa, Florida October 31, 2012.
But today's event was certainly a return to the issues that have driven the campaign for the last year -- with Romney criticizing the president's stewardship of the economy indirectly, and offering his own plan in contrast.
“My view is pretty straight forward and that is I believe that this is time for America to take a different course, that this should be a turning point for our country, and I say that because I look at where we are and with 23 million Americans – you think about that. These are real people. These are folks trying to put food on the table," Romney said. "Twenty-three million people struggling to find a good job. This is something that requires in my view a different path than we’ve been on."
Reuters, Getty Images
In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters.
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Romney has been campaigning for past 8 years....
One way or another it will end on Nov 06, 2012, unless he is too stubborn and decides to run in 2016 if he loses.
Don't be too surprised if Romney wins that the TEA party doesn't take over the White House and big changes along with our way of life as we know it now will be gone. Don't go crying when it does.
This is as bogus as McCain "suspending" his campaign in 2008 to ride his white horse to Washington DC for photo ops with the bailout meetings. Bogus, Mitt. Just go home.
Do you want him to go home to the new western White house in California, Or do you want him to got to New Hampshire?
As long as he stays away from Massachusetts, we just want him to go and stay away. My favorite headline from our local paper today: Morphing Mitt; at it again!
Kind of like the morphing story out of Libya? Aren't you embarrassed that your a hypocrite?
You're not your.
Aren't you embarassed about the US being lied into the Iraq war? Did you take umbrage at Bush and Cheney? If not, who's calling who a hypocrite?
perhaps they believed it was the truth if they were lied to and they repeated the lie believing it was the truth they really aren' t the liars now are they!
BUSH is not running for office. I voted Obama in 08' I voted for the guy that said there are no blue states and no red states. He never really existed so I'm voting for a guy this time who has had several major accomplishments in his life.
R/R will win and win big. Look at the Independents before you say anything more.
For God's sakes in Bain's OWN brochure it calls itself"One stop job outsourcing"
This is EXACTLY what Bain and Romney did and now he's doing another flip-flop???
Not to mention it's a total lie:
Chuck Tood even said EVERYTHING in the Romney ad is factual. One has to put words in Romney's mouth to say what your saying about him.
They are going to build "some" jeeps in China. Jeeps will still be made in the US. If you make more in China, you would more than likely make less in the US. Right? Let's see...what is that called? OUTSOURCING!
Wrong, Jeep is saying that they will make the same amount here and make the jeeps they sell in China in China. Romney's implication is that Ohio jobs will be outsourced.
yeah and we know Jeep would be honest about outsourcing jobs right?
Sue: So your're trusting big business now? OK.
On the lighter side. The San Francisco Giants (colors black and orange) are celebrating today with a victory parade as World Series champs for the 2nd time in 3 years.
Gateway Pundit: WOMEN’S GROUP Slams Obama For Abandoning SEALs in Benghazi
The group is calling on Obama to come clean with the American people on Benghazi.
"When President Obama called the Navy SEALs, they got Bin Laden.
When the Navy SEALs called Obama, They got denied."
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, America will DENY Barack Obama!
Its amazing how these Benghazi 'folks' have a lot to say, but have no clue as to what went on down there.
Tell me, which active duty navy seals called Obama and got denied.
Just who did Doherty and Woods work for, and what was their mission?
Yes, I'd like answers too.
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
ihara, sonmanvb is a cut-n-paste junkie, with nothing to say but repeat his 'Stand Down' mantra. Romneyites sure are a funny bunch, very Rombottish!
A guy in New York who has no power and his subway station is flooded,gets a can of beans from Romney.
A guy in Benghazi asked for help from Obama and he went to bed so he wouldn't be tired for his trip to Vegas in the morning. The guy in bengnazi got killed instead.
Can of beans > BENGHAZI?
USNews: Barack Obama's Failed Campaign Strategy
It was all going so perfectly for President Barack Obama.
He had painted his opponent, former Gov. Mitt Romney, as an out-of-touch rich guy with elevators for his wife's multiple Cadillacs and bank accounts throughout the Caribbean. Romney had no plan—or at least none he was willing to discuss with voters. He was bellicose and callow on foreign policy. And The Groups—women, Hispanics, African-Americans, union members, public employees— were lined up so solidly behind the president he absolutely could not lose.
And then, on October 3 at about 9:04 p.m., Romney took to the stage in Denver and reset the campaign. He was not out of touch at all. He made sense. He had solid ideas, a sense of hope. He connected. He laughed. He seemed confident. The president looked down at his notes. He came across as not wanting to be there. He offered little reason to give him another term.
That night was followed closely by Vice President Joe Biden's neighing, braying debate performance—an effort only a deeply partisan Democrat could've loved. Then there was the Al Smith Dinner, where Romney seemed uncommonly gracious, sensible, and downright funny.
The cascade of cognitive dissonance these Romney appearances unleashed on the nation was like the waves slashing the coast because of Hurricane Sandy. They destroyed the landscape in their path and left something decidedly different, something Democrats now recognize as a true and serious threat to the president's re-election hopes. He can lose, and they know it.
And if Obama does, if he becomes only the sixth president in the last 100 years to lose re-election, he will have no one to blame but himself. He created a Romney so far removed from the real Romney that when voters saw the real Romney they realized they had been had. And voters don't like to be had.
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, When America called Barack Obama, he will get DENIED!
The polls disagree with you, quite resoundingly.
TS: Why is it that every year before this year the election was decided by Independents? This year you hear NOTHING about them. Look at ALL the polls, Romney is up, on average, by 10.3% with Independents.
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
The Wall St. Journal, Congressional Budget Office and Tax policy Center ALL say the same thing, Romney/Ryan's numbers just don't add up.
Ryan's own proposed 2013 budget is 1 trillion in the red.
He was the pro-choice, anti-gun, pro gay rights governor of ultra-liberal Masachusetts which he left more than 1.5 billion more in debt and was 47th out of 50 states in job creation during his term.
I would love any conservative to tell me why those things are attractive to you.
Still making stuff up ehhhh? Man it must suck to be you. Here is one thing that CBO did say yesterday. That even with the issuance of 76 billion in bonds the U.S. will reach its debt ceiling (16.6 trillion) by December 2nd.
Why is it that the U.S. can go create a disaster in Iraq and pay for rebuilding that entire nation but Romney wants to cut out natural disaster relief for this country? Maybe the republicans do have a conscience if they want to rebuild Iraq because all the people were innocent but wait aren't Americans innocent to? How can the republicans think a storm is caused by people who want a govt. handout?
Get the entire story before you continue in your ignorance.
Sooooooooooooooooo STUPID prog.1
Sooooooooooooooooooooo STUPID.
Can you read? Better yet, can you understand what you read?
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, When Barack Obama calls America, he will get DENIED!
Isn't it one of the republican policies that everyone must be responsible for themselves?
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
Lmao you left wing nut jobs are so scared and confused because you know your boy is in trouble. Sending bubba Billary to Pens....Hmm i thought Obama had that state in the bag already?
Eases back into politicking? Were you paying attention yesterday when he was throwing the world's first disaster relief political rally?
yeah and Obama had his jeans and t-shirt on ready to help!!! Suit and tie ready for photo op. You people make me laugh
Everytime I see this clown Governor Chuckles, he's flashing his best Jokeresque grin.
Once his political career fails on November 6th, this guy could be a big star in semi-cartoon movies I tell ya!
I can see it now, Batman Returns to Battle Chuckles the Evil Clown.
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, When Barack Obama calls America, he will get DENIED!
Not by this former republican.
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
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
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, When Barack Obama calls America, he will get DENIED!
will the real slim shady, please stand up, please stand up, please stand up ...
Brian: Guess you better catch up: Romney now busted big time for his staged food rally !!! Romney and his staffers went to Walmart on Monday night to buy $5,000 worth of canned goods and diapers because they thought there wouldn't be enough for the camera's and photo op-Yeah,real classy guy !!!!!!
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, When Barack Obama calls America, he will get DENIED!
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
Hi, Maria! Be careful, the trolls are out in full force today!
Romneybot. Pull the string and he says what you want to hear. Look at how stiff and mechanical he is. He looks like an alien or a refugee from Disney animatronics. There's nothing natural in anything he says or does. It's scary.
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
On 11/6/2012, When Barack Obama calls America, he will get DENIED!
sonmanvb: Like Goebbels' Big Lie, your constant repetition doesn't make it true, except maybe for you, like if you just keep up the mantra, that will make it happen ... magical thinking, huh?
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
Look at Romney's expression, it looks like someone just grabbed his rear. That first photo is a perfect chimp look a like photo :)
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
When Barack Obama calls on America on 11/6/2012, he will get DENIED!
sonmanvb Your wrong. It may not be an exactly fair contest right now no matter who wins if the election is held on the 6th, thousand of votes for either candidate may not have been able to have been cast or sent in. Or if it is sent in and in the mail the voting card is probably destroyed or unreadable. This will be 100 times worse than Florida.
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
Again, the MSM is working hard to discredit itself into uselessness.
ROMNEY HAD A RALLY YESTERDAY! Gawd. Did you not see his promo video playing?
Pathetic. I'm sure there's more qualified people out there to write actual stories.
Romney caught big time in GM lie(another lie of many lies)! What a surprise....not....how could we ever believe a word he said if he was president? Wow....
No Catherine, you just can't read or understand what you read.
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
When Barack Obama calls on America on 11/6/2012, he will get DENIED!
WRONG! His ad was entirely accurate. Ask Chick Todd. Watch the video above. One has to wrongly draw conclusions for it to be a lie. LOOK IT UP. Where's the lie? This is the way Romney has been treated the whole year and we are not going to take it ANYMORE
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
Eased back into campaigning? Are you kidding? I wouldn't be surprised if Mitt didn't buy all of that stuff for his supporters yesterday to use as "props" because how would Mitt have been able to contact them to ask them to pitch in and stop at like Walmart on their way to his non-campaign where McCain just happened to be kicking it and decided to mention a little something about Syria? These guys are all alike. They need to pass psychological tests before being allowed to run for public office. Mostly for assuming we're all stupid.
While President Obama is visiting the storm-ravaged areas, good ol' Mitt is rallying at the University of Miami, home of The Hurricanes. Apparently, Paul Ryan told him that's where Hurricane Sandy came from and he believed him.
Anyone who votes for Romney is rich, mormon or gullible!
For Halloween, Obama's Scariest Domestic Policies
WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL -- In less than a week, Americans will render their verdict on President Obama's first term in office. In honor of Halloween, we've rounded up five of the scariest domestic policies the nation will need to endure if Obama is re-elected.
* Economics: When Obama was pushing his $833 billion economic stimulus package, his economists helped him out by arguing that it would lower unemployment to 5.5 percent by October 2012. They warned that if Congress did not pass the stimulus, unemployment would be above 6 percent today. As it turned out, lawmakers passed the stimulus, and unemployment is now 7.8 percent. In the summer of 2009, the White House projected economic growth of 4.3 percent in both 2011 and 2012. In reality, it was at 1.8 percent in 2011 and is on the same anemic pace this year. Despite the failures of his Keynesian, government-directed stimulus policies, Obama is pushing for a similar $500 billion package in his second term.
* Regulations: Obama's ability to pass legislation in his second term will be limited by a divided Congress, but Obama will surely continue to impose his agenda by bypassing the lawmakers. Between 2009 and 2011, the Federal Register, which records government rules, grew from 68,598 pages to 82,415, according to an analysis by the Heritage Foundation -- a new record. Even more problematic is that Obama added 106 new "major" regulations, defined as rules that cost at least $100 million per year. These now constitute an additional $46 billion annual drag on the economy. If Obama gets a second term, he won't have to worry about being re-elected, meaning he'll have even more "flexibility" to use his regulatory powers. One particularly worrisome likelihood is that the Environmental Protection Agency will expand its attempts to regulate carbon under the Clean Air Act, boosting energy prices even further.
* Taxes: Obama has argued that his proposed tax increases will only hit those making more than $250,000 per year. But this doesn't account for the fact that, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, his tax increases will also hammer 940,000 small-business owners who file as individuals. In addition, his health care law includes $1 trillion in tax increases over the next decade, many of which will directly or indirectly fall on the middle class.
* Deficits: When Obama took office, he promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term. Had that been true, the fiscal 2012 deficit would have been $600 billion. Instead, it stands at $1.1 trillion. Under his watch, total U.S. debt has increased by more than $5 trillion, to more than $16 trillion, and the nation's credit rating was downgraded. Obama has offered no credible plan to address the problem. His failure of leadership, if extended another four years, could force the U.S. government into European-style austerity measures -- drastic and immediate cuts to vital government services and huge tax increases on all income levels that stifle economic growth.
* Health care: If Obama is re-elected, it will mean that his $1.7 trillion health care law will be put into effect. Individuals will be forced to purchase insurance policies or pay a tax and will have less freedom over their choice of health care plans. Every health plan in the country will have to meet federal government approval, and every citizen will have to show proof of insurance on his or her tax form. Businesses will be burdened by a raft of new regulations, and government will have more control over personal decisions.
The election is not a question of trick or treat. It poses a clear choice for voters: either continue on the path of decline, or pick a new president to restore America's individual freedoms and economic energy.
On 11/6/2012, America will order Barack Obama to STAND DOWN!
When Barack Obama calls on America on 11/6/2012, he will get DENIED!
Washington Examiner? Really? And what does Fux News have to say? Or WingNut Daily?
"Stand Down"? "Denied"? What is it with you and this awkward, arch language? Hyper-military maybe? You sure don't talk like a normal person. More like a Romneybot Jr.
Romney is not the problem it is his supporters and the people who are voting for him that have the real issues he is only saying what they want to hear. These are the same people who voted for George W, 2 times.
EASING??? Mitt has been campaigning the entire time! Well, to be fair, campaigning & spreading more lies. How's that Jeep commercial working out for you, Mittens? Romney economics: Feed our seed corn to the fattest pigs and trust them to poop out jobs.
What was the lie? Be specific. Chuck Todd said in the video above the ad was ACCURATE!
Romney/Ryan Wrong for America !
First MSNBC tries to denigrate Romney's relief effort, (while OBlahBlah Gives a Speech!!! yeah cuz THAT's what people need in a storm!) then try to denigrate him for going back to campaigning, while their OBro never stopped.....the BIAS on this site is SO unbelieveable it's head spinning.
Obama posts a Photo Op of HIM WATCHING THE HURRICANE in the Situation Room.....seriously!?! Hello?!? He couldn't even be bothered showing up - for the Libya disaster - never mind doing his job in the SR, but this he thinks will make him look Pres....Lord, deliver us!