Romney’s ad quoting Obama out of context prompts DNC to call Romney ‘serial deceiver’
If Mitt Romney’s intent in aiming his first TV ad at the economic record of President Obama was to get it widely discussed in the media, he certainly succeeded.
The 60-second ad, broadcast in New Hampshire, shows a video clip of Obama saying, “If we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.” What the ad neglects to mention is that the clip is from Obama in 2008 in which he was quoting an anonymous aide in the campaign of his GOP rival, John McCain.
This act of digital sleight of hand prompted a cry of foul from the Democratic National Committee. The DNC’s Brad Woodhouse called Romney “a serial deceiver - and his deceptions know no bounds...And when Mitt Romney is caught deceiving, he doubles down and deceives even more.
“No candidate in modern times has had more trouble with the truth than Mitt Romney.”
In response, Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said, “The Democrats’ obsession with Mitt Romney grows more intense with each passing day. With no economic record to run on, President Obama and his allies are in hysterics at the thought of facing Mitt Romney next November.”
The back-and-forth became fodder for the political website Politico, the website of The New Republic, CNN, and the Al Sharpton show on MSNBC. If Saul is right and Obama does face Romney next November, fasten your seat belts.
Donald MacGillis can be reached at d_macgillis@globe.com.
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
