Romney ad attacks Obama on welfare policy
A new television ad from GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee airing in Virginia accuses President Barack Obama of attempting to “gut” federally funded welfare-to-work programs, a charge the Obama campaign and the White House vigorously disputes.
The Obama administration last month issued a directive that would allow states to seek waivers to experiment with “more effective mechanisms for helping families succeed in employment.” In a memo accompanying the directive, George Sheldon, the acting assistant secretary of health and human services, wrote that states have “offered a range of suggestions for ways in which expanded flexibility could lead to more effective employment outcomes for families.”
Some conservatives have claimed that the flexibility could allow states to get around the welfare-to-work requirement that was a centerpiece of a bipartisan reform package that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1996. In a Monday op-ed piece in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Gov. Bob McDonnell asserted that Obama “took steps to remove one of its central requirements.”
The Romney ad opens with an image of Clinton signing the bill and accuses Obama of dropping the work requirement altogether.
“Under Obama’s plan, you wouldn’t have to work and wouldn’t have to train for a job,” an announcer says in the ad. “They just send you your welfare check.”
Obama’s campaign answered the attack this morning and reminded reporters that Romney requested welfare flexibility for states while serving as governor of Massachusetts. Romney signed onto a 2005 letter with other Republican governors supporting a Senate bill that would have given states flexibility to manage their programs. Romney’s campaign said today that the flexibility the governors were seeking was not related to the work requirements.
“Mitt Romney continues to make statements that he knows are both untrue and hypocritical,” said Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith. “The Obama administration, working with the Republican governors of states like Nevada and Utah, is giving states additional flexibility only if they move more people from welfare to work – not fewer. But as governor, Mitt Romney petitioned the federal government for waivers that would have let people stay on welfare for an indefinite period, ending welfare reform as we know it, and even created a program that handed out free cars to welfare recipients. These false and extremely hypocritical attacks demonstrate how Mitt Romney lacks the core strength and principles the nation needs in a President.”
– Michael Sluss
August 7, 2012 - 12:41 PM
Imagine that, another lying commercial that attacks Obama for something Romney wanted to do just a few yars ago. And we’re also about to get a $25 million flood of commercials from what isn’t supposed to be an advocacy group but really is.
So this is what he has come to. Lies on top of lies on top of hiding his financial shenanigans. This is going to be a landslide if he is not careful.
And I do not mean Obama.
How about that despicable new Pro-Obama SuperPAC ad, which basically accuses Romney of killing a cancer patient. I’m sure you’re equally disgusted by that? Nah, who am I kidding?
If Obama had any kind of record to run on, he and his “advocacy groups” wouldn’t have to run such negative ads. And they wouldn’t have to worry about how much his opponent is spending. But we know that’s simply not the case. He has been a miserable failure in office – so he has to do anything he can to distract from his dismal economy and record in office.
If Obama was not running the negative ads in response to the Romney negative ads, or the lying ads in response to the lying ads, yes I might be inclined to care.
Dammit Rmoney…stop killing cancer patients.
Likewise…if Romney wasn’t running the negative ads in response to the Obama negative ads…
Two sides to the coin.
I wouldn’t say Obama’s been a “miserable failure” TOR…you get a picture of GWB when you look that up in the dictionary. Obama’s successes have been severely limited by Republican obstructionism in Congress. The GOP’s hell-bent on removing him from office (and announced that in no uncertain terms early in 2009) no matter how much damage they have to do to America and her citizens in the process.
Sandi just stated that Obama is a liar. Hmmmm…
3.”How about that despicable new Pro-Obama SuperPAC ad, which basically accuses Romney of killing a cancer patient. I’m sure you’re equally disgusted by that?”
Yea, from the inventor of the death panels. Wonder how many will die at their hands?