Sunday, May 6, 2012

President Obama's Campaign Kickoff

In back-to-back campaign rallies at Ohio State University and Virginia Commonwealth University on Saturday, President Barack Obama was introduced in Columbus and again in Richmond by first lady Michelle Obama. Thousands cheered and waved signs that read "Forward" as President Obama moved to speak to the assembled crowd.


President Obama in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday

During his remarks the president called Mitt Romney a willing and eager "rubber stamp" for conservative Republicans in Congress and an agenda to cut taxes for the rich, reduce spending on education and Medicare and enhance power that big banks and insurers hold over consumers.

Romney "doesn't seem to understand that maximizing profits by whatever means necessary, whether it's through layoffs or outsourcing or tax avoidance, union busting, might not always be good for the average American or for the American economy," the president said.

Romney and his "friends in Congress think the same bad ideas will lead to a different result or they're just hoping you won't remember what happened the last time you tried it their way. Obama said his rival was merely doing the bidding of the conservative power brokers and has little understanding of the struggles of average Americans. "Why else would he want to cut his own taxes while raising them for 18 million Americans," said Pres. Obama of the Republican presumptive presidential nominee.

"When people ask you what this election is about, you tell them it is still about hope. You tell them it is still about change," he said. It was a rebuttal to Romney's campaign, which has lately taken to mocking Obama's 2008 campaign mantra as "hype and blame."

"The economy is still facing headwinds and it will take sustained persistent efforts, yours and mine, for America to fully recover," the president said. He noted that jobs are being created and urged his audience not to give in to what he predicted would be negative campaign commercials designed to "exploit frustrations."

"Over and over again they'll tell you that America is down and out and they'll tell you who to blame and ask if you're better off than the worst crisis in our lifetime," he said. "The real question ... is not just about how we're doing today but how we'll be doing tomorrow."

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