Barack Obama has responded with an ad of his own to respond to those dishonest Romney ads which distorted a statement by Barack Obama about small business. Video above and text follows:
“Those ads taking my words about small business out of context; they’re flat out wrong. Of course Americans build their own business. Everyday hard-working people sacrifice to meet a payroll, create jobs, and make our economy run.
And what I said was that we need to stand behind them as America always has. By investing in education, training, roads and bridges, research and technology. I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message because I believe we’re all in this together.”
This follows responses from the Obama campaign which I noted yesterday. Obama also showed no patience for this dishonest attack at a fund raiser yesterday:
President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he’s losing his patience over the Republican attacks aimed at his “you didn’t build that” comment.
“I have to tell you, I generally have patience with what the other side says about me, that’s a requirement of this job,” Obama said during a $5,000-per-plate fundraiser here, according to the pool report.
“And if you don’t like folks talking about you, you probably shouldn’t run for president. The one thing I do have no patience for is this argument that somehow what I’m criticizing is success… I want to promote success,” Obama said.
DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse issued this memo regarding the planned Democratic response (emphasis mine):
In conjunction with OFA, we’re going to turn the page tomorrow on Mitt Romney’s trumped up, out of context fact-checked-to-death BS about the President and small business and set the record straight on how Mitt Romney has a horrible record on small business, a failed record on jobs and who is advocating for policies that are great for millionaires, billionaires, big oil and corporate America – but that would devastate small businesses and stifle job growth and small business expansion. We’ll being done this with on the ground events in states which are coming together as we speak and with a national press conference call which will include small business owners and others – including at least one person from MA – who will speak about Romney’s failed record and failed policies as well as President Obama’s record as a consistent advocate for small businesses.
Mitt Romney’s going to have to have more than manipulating video and taking quotes out of context to make up for his failed record on jobs and economic and small business development as Governor of Massachusetts and the policies he’s advocating for now that would roll back the investments and support small businesses and communities have always counted on to succeed. As governor of Massachusetts you need look no further than Mitt Romney finishing 47th out of 50 in jobs and manufacturing plummeting to know Mitt Romney’s tenure was a disaster for small businesses in the Bay State.
He left Massachusetts with the highest per capita debt in the nation and created or raised over 1,000 taxes and fees that came to $750 million a year – taxes and fees that fell largely on the middle class and small businesses.
If you’re the Governor that raised a fee on milk and attempted to impose a $10 fee for a state certificate of blindness, it becomes clear why Mitt Romney doesn’t want to talk about his record as Governor on jobs or the economy or budget and taxes.
And he slashed job training programs and cut the manufacturing extension partnership – both devastating to small business development.
What’s worse is that Romney wants to take his failed approach national where he’s pledged to slash the budget so deeply to pay for tax breaks for millionaires like himself he’d devastate the very investments needed for businesses of any size to succeed – especially small businesses. We know the Romney-Ryan budget would slash funding for education, training, research and development, scientific research, investments in clean energy, higher ed, student loans. He’d forgo new investments in high speed rail, broadband, road and bridge construction and repair. And of course – he would have let Detroit go Bankrupt.
Mitt Romney knows a thing or two about financial engineering for his own gain and off shoring money, outsourcing jobs and setting up Swiss Bank Accounts – but he clearly has little clue how the real economy works for small businesses or the middle class. If Mitt Romney thinks that communities and small businesses can succeed strictly on their own – he needs to acquaint himself with the real world where businesses depend on an educated workforce, R and D, and solid infrastructure – everything from broadband to road, bridges and rail.
No – there is only one candidate in this race who should apologize for his record, positions and attitude towards small business – and that’s Mitt Romney.
