Romney and Obama focus on debate preparations
Election 2012
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Photo
In these Sept. 26, 2012, file photo, President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney both campaign in the battleground state of Ohio. Fierce and determined competitors, Obama and Romney each have a specific mission for the string of three debates that starts Wednesday night, Oct. 3, 2012.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is preparing for his second debate with President Barack Obama but taking time to tell voters in Ohio that enthusiasm for him is surging both in this critical state and across the country.
Obama was hunkering down Saturday in Virginia to go over the game plan for the town-hall debate with Romney. But his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday spoke of an industry that's critical to Ohio, another battleground state and perhaps the most important to his Republican opponent's White House hopes.
"We refused to throw in the towel and do nothing. We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt," Obama said in the address. "GM is back. Ford and Chrysler are growing again. Together, our auto industry has created nearly a quarter of a million new jobs right here in America."
Romney opposed using government funds to help the auto industry go through bankruptcy. Many analysts believe the industry would not have survived if it had relied on private investment for rescue. It's an issue that has dogged Romney in Ohio, where numerous auto parts suppliers benefited from the survival of the big three automakers.
The Obama campaign also released a new TV ad narrated by actor Morgan Freeman noting the challenges Obama inherited and highlighting the president's successes, including saving jobs for American autoworkers and killing Osama bin Laden.
Romney is concluding a week of campaign rallies that saw him drawing larger, more excited crowds than he has through the fall campaign. More than 10,000 people turned out to several rallies, with the campaign saying that more people were signing up to attend events since Romney's strong debate performance last week in Nevada.
"I've had the fun of going back and forth across Ohio, and this week I was also in Florida and Iowa, I was in North Carolina and Virginia. And you know what? There is a growing crescendo of enthusiasm," Romney told a crowd of thousands at a sunset rally Friday in Lancaster, south of Columbus, where he and running mate Paul Ryan appeared together. "There's more energy and passion. People are getting behind this campaign. We are taking back this country."
Saturday will be the fourth of the last five days Romney will spend campaigning in this industrial, Midwestern state — with 18 electoral votes, it's critical to his hopes of winning the White House. His campaign swing comes as he and Republicans criticize Obama for the handling of the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Romney accused Vice President Joe Biden of "doubling down on denial" concerning security at the diplomatic post where the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed. During the vice presidential debate Thursday, Biden said "we weren't told" about the Benghazi consulate's requests for additional security. Although a State Department official told Congress on Wednesday about the requests, the White House said Friday that Biden was speaking just for himself and for the president.
"The vice president directly contradicted the sworn testimony of State Department officials," said Romney, who was eager to stoke a controversy that has flared periodically since the attack. "American citizens have a right to know just what's going on. And we're going to find out."
Romney plans to spend Saturday morning at a hotel outside Columbus, where he'll meet with top advisers and get ready for his showdown with Obama in Hempstead, N.Y., on Tuesday. He returns to Massachusetts in the evening but first makes two campaign stops in Ohio.
After his widely panned performance in the first presidential debate, polls show Obama still holds a slim edge in Ohio. The state is crucial for Romney because his path to winning the 270 electoral college votes he needs is far narrower if he can't win Ohio. Losing here would mean he'd have to win almost all of the other up-for-grabs battleground states.
Obama was in Ohio this week, too, but he was spending the weekend in Williamsburg, Va., preparing for the debate. The president has acknowledged he needs to turn in a stronger performance when the two meet again.
Obama and top aides plan hours of practice sessions ahead of the town hall-style event, including some mock exchanges with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who is playing the role of Romney.
Campaign officials sought to keep details of Obama's preparations secret. But they said the president was working on being more aggressive in responding to Romney and calling the Republican out on issues as well as pointing out what they maintain are Romney's true positions.
While Obama has no public events planned in Virginia over the next three days, his mere presence in the state will drive some local news coverage. And he may make unscheduled visits in the Williamsburg area.
The president practiced for the first debate in Nevada, another battleground state.
Oct 14, 2012 at 10:40 p.m.
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And Romney will keep them all in the mines, where I'm sure he believes they all belong; breathing coal dust and enduring the hazardous working conditions that generations of miners have faced. All so you have the electricity, wislady, to operate your computer and post negative comments about someone trying to help these people, and the generations that would follow them, out of the mines.
Oct 14, 2012 at 7:26 p.m.
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Miners Fight Back Against Obama TV Ad: "Absolute Lies"
"Coal miners tell Obama to stop the absolute lies in TV ad accusing miners of being props at rally for Romney. Miners held a press conference to release a letter signed by over 500 miners saying they were not forced to attend Romney event. They wanted to attend because their is a war on coal and Obama is leading it. If Obama is re-elected he will put us all out of work permanently."
http://youtu.be/SzU3oZLV8Hw
Oct 14, 2012 at 11:59 a.m.
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Whz @11:34 am That's the new normal.
Good post!
Oct 14, 2012 at 11:34 a.m.
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Wasp, first Ambassador killed in thirty years stands alone, especially when there were security requests that were denied multiple times by the Obama administration. Ms Lamb, of the State Dept. said money was not an issue. Aside from that Obama has demonstrated a failure of leadership because of: Falsehoods about the Libya attacks, Class warefare, 99% aginst 1%,
42 straight months of unemployment above 8%,He is not a friend of business nor does he even understand basic business. Killed the XL Pipeline and Coal. Fast and Furious gun running scandal, Worst recession since the great depression, 40% loss of household wealth for thr average family, Declining wages, More people at the poverty level than ever before, Food stamp use at an all time high, Exploding National debt. We now have highest gas prices, food prices, medical costs and energy prices. He does however enjoy golfing, fundraising with Hollywood,Vacations, Constant campaigning. To bad he did not attend to security daily briefings and other presidential duities of the office.
Oct 14, 2012 at 10:32 a.m.
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No comments on this disgrace? Where is the CIC?
http://conservativeamericaonline.blogspo...
Oct 14, 2012 at 9:03 a.m.
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Learn about Mitt Romney’s ideas for leading America – from Mitt Romney!
Nearly 2 million viewers this week!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgfzknYd...
and latest video update at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZfXvFAeH...
Oct 14, 2012 at 9:03 a.m.
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Romney is a better LIAR than Obama, that's for sure!
Politifact.com: Romney has told more total lies than Obama
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/...
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/...
Fact Check.org: Romney told more lies at the Presidential debate than Obama, and Romney came off as a “serial exaggerator.”
http://factcheck.org/2012/10/dubious-den...
Oct 14, 2012 at 8:51 a.m.
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Ryan & Honey Boo Boo - TV Ratings
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-...
Oct 14, 2012 at 8:38 a.m.
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Reminder:
The plan for the withdrawal, the timeline, was set under the Bush administration.
How convenient....dismiss what has happened this past month, Obama is president NOW. What has happened in Libya is a key factor in this election. The Libya Scandal is Obama's to claim. Biden and Obama can blame the Intelligence all they want, but it was clear from the REAL time videos, that it was a terrorist attack.
Oct 14, 2012 at 7:02 a.m.
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Wislady - This will probably surprise you but we should have started withdrawing troops the day after Obama was inaugurated in my opinion. But we accelerated our actions and that increased the terrorist response. Which has part of the pattern since we began this war on terror. The other is for them to go into hiding wait, until we think the have been pacified. I don't think they will ever be completely defeated.
whz_bng - Your question how many were ambassadors? Are some people more equal than others? I would be ashamed to ask that question. 40 people don't matter? WOW!!
Oct 14, 2012 at 1:13 a.m.
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No Wislady, I didn't mention anything from this week or the recent embassy attacks, nor the apparent lack of security in place at the time.
I was talking about a plan supported by Ryan in 2009 showing his apparent perception of the importance of that same security.
I will summarize this same quote, without altering its intentions, to make it easier to see one of this plan's objectives.
"Ryan...voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut...funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions...which would translate (under Ryan's budget) to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security."
Your thoughts?
Oct 13, 2012 at 10:06 p.m.
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This suit was filed yesterday, however it seems to have been ignored by the media.
Breaking: Romney Sues Wisconsin As Soldiers Denied Vote And Voter Fraud From Felons Encouraged
http://conservativeamericaonline.blogspo...
Oct 13, 2012 at 9:21 p.m.
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wasp
Where are the Code Pink people, who used to count each death while Bush was in office?
Media Ignores Increased Deaths, Casualties in Afghanistan Under Obama
"What is more striking, though, is more U.S. soldiers have been killed and wounded during President Barack Obama’s first term in office than former President George W. Bush’s two terms. And the anti-war mainstream media that regularly counted the number of deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan under Bush, for the most part, has been silent on the number of deaths and casualties that have resulted under Obama.
Under former President George W. Bush, 575 American soldiers died and fewer than 3,000 were wounded in Afghanistan. This means under Obama, at least 1,405 soldiers have died and nearly 15,000 additional soldiers have been wounded, which means 70% of the deaths and nearly 80% of the injuries in Afghanistan have occurred under Obama’s watch."
Read more...
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/...
Oct 13, 2012 at 8:37 p.m.
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Wasp, how many of them were our Ambassadors?
Oct 13, 2012 at 6:47 p.m.
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Obama Admin Had Video All Along Showing No Protest at Benghazi
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/20...
Oct 13, 2012 at 4:09 p.m.
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RUSerious
According to testimony this week at the hearings, there was no lack of funding to provide security at the embassy (if that is what you are insinuating). Try again.
Oct 13, 2012 at 4 p.m.
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Economy is getting better, houses are selling, unemployment is going down. Can't you people see this!!! Anyone would be a fool to vote for Romney & go back to the same things Bush did to our country. He says he will create 12 million jobs in 4 years. Do you really believe that!! Don't think so!
Oct 13, 2012 at 2:48 p.m.
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whz_bng - I'm going to assume the best of you. That you just messed up on your research. I found that from June 14, 2002 to Sept. 2008, that 40 people were killed in attacks on U. S. embassies around the world. I don't think Obama was president then. Does anyone remember how the Congressional hearings come on out those?
Oct 13, 2012 at 1:37 p.m.
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"Ryan, Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security." Washington Post
Oct 13, 2012 at 1:19 p.m.
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That is not what happened and you know it.
Oct 13, 2012 at 1:10 p.m.
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Obama and Biden lied and the ambassador and 3 others died. Also; Last time an ambassador was killed was during the Carter Administration.
Oct 13, 2012 at 12:59 p.m.
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Wislady LIES about Obama and Biden.
Oct 13, 2012 at 11:36 a.m.
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Obama lied about the recession being over in 2009!
Oct 13, 2012 at 11:33 a.m.
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Obama LIED about Libya.
Biden LIED about Libya.
Oct 13, 2012 at 10:54 a.m.
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Surprise again...the FLIP FLOP BOYS ROMNEY / RYAN.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12...
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/us_pol...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/r...
Oct 13, 2012 at 10:50 a.m.
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Surprise surprise ---> "ROMNEY LIED ABOUT PRE- EXISTING CONDITIONS DURING DEBATE"
http://elections.americablog.com/2012/10...
"PAUL RYAN KING OF PORK"
http://elections.americablog.com/2012/10...
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