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Romney Campaign Press Release - Obama's Top Ten: Campaign Attacks Cause Ten Democrats To Balk

May 23, 2012

"Another day, another two Democrats join the rapidly expanding ranks of Democratic leaders who have balked at President Obama's attacks on free enterprise. After three-and-a-half years of the President's liberal policies of wasteful spending and skyrocketing debt, voters know this election is about the nearly 23 million Americans struggling for work, not disingenuous attacks on job creators." –Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

President Obama's Attacks On Free Enterprise Have Caused Two More Democratic Senators To "Balk":

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), On President Obama's Attacks On Free Enterprise: "It's Done. ... Go On To Other Things Now." "Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a widely respected member of Congress, stopped short of criticizing the president, but made it clear that the campaign should pivot. 'It's done,' she said. 'Go on to other things now.'" (Cameron Joseph, "Democrats Balk At Obama Campaign's Sustained Attack On Bain Capital," The Hill, 5/22/12)

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), While "Shaking His Head Vigorously": "I'm Not Going To Comment On President Obama's Ad." "Pressed on whether he thought Obama's campaign had operated within those guidelines, Coons paused. 'I'm not going to comment on President Obama's ad,' he said, shaking his head vigorously." (Cameron Joseph, "Democrats Balk At Obama Campaign's Sustained Attack On Bain Capital," The Hill, 5/22/12)

  • Senator Coons: "I Think The Average American ... Hopes That This Campaign Will Focus On Competing Visions For How To Strengthen Our Economy, Help Create Jobs And Move The Country Forward." "Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told The Hill, 'I think the average American ... hopes that this campaign will focus on competing visions for how to strengthen our economy, help create jobs and move the country forward.'" (Cameron Joseph, "Democrats Balk At Obama Campaign's Sustained Attack On Bain Capital," The Hill, 5/22/12)

The Hill: "Democrats Balk At Obama Campaign's Sustained Attack On Bain Capital" (Cameron Joseph, "Democrats Balk At Obama Campaign's Sustained Attack On Bain Capital," The Hill, 5/22/12)

Senators Dianne Feinstein And Chris Coons Are Just The Latest Democrats To Reject President Obama's "Nauseating" And "Disappointing" Attacks:

Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA): "No, [Bain Is] Not A Bad Company And Nobody Is Saying They Are, Including The President." KING: "You're in a very interesting position this year. I want to start with... You're the governor of a state that Bain Capital calls its global home." ... PATRICK: "Indeed." KING: "Are they a bad company?" PATRICK: "No, they're not a bad company and nobody is saying they are, including the president. It's a remarkable thing." (CNN's "John King USA," 5/22/12)

Former Governor And Former DNC Chair Ed Rendell: "Very Disappointing." "And Rendell joined the chorus of criticism of Obama's attacks on finance, whose leaders have written checks to many members of both parties. 'I think they're very disappointing,' Rendell said of the ads attacking Bain." (Zeke Miller, "Is This Obama's Party?," BuzzFeed, 5/22/12)

  • Governor Rendell, On If He Supports How The Obama Campaign Is "Being Run Right Now": "Well ... Either/Or." MATTHEWS: "Governor Rendell, big question. Are you with the Obama campaign as it's being run right now, or are you against it?" RENDELL: "Well ... either/or." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 5/22/12)

Former Representative Artur Davis (D-AL): The Obama Campaign's Attacks Follow "The European Leftist Notion That Business Is Fair Only When It Operates In A Sanitized, Risk Free Manner." DAVIS: "It's hard to imagine a more instructive couple of days for those who want to know where the Democratic Party's head is at: its only high-profile African American moderate just got a brushback pitch for leaning in too close to the Independent thought zone; the Obama camp looks ominously like a cult of personality that tolerates no dissent; and the reelection campaign just doubled down on the European leftist notion that business is fair only when it operates in a sanitized, risk free manner." (Artur Davis, "Should Democrats Stop Bain Capital Attacks?" Politico, 5/22/12)

Former Representative Harold Ford (D-TN): "Private Equity's Not A Bad Thing. ... Private Equity Is A Good Thing In Many, Many Instances." "Former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford said Monday that he would not have walked back New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker's surprising comments criticizing the Obama campaign for attacking private equity. 'I would not have backed off the comments if I were Mayor Booker,' Ford, a Democrat, said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' 'The substance of his comments on 'Meet the Press,' I agree with the core of it. I would not have backed them out... private equity's not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, private equity is a good thing in many, many instances.'" (Tim Mak, "Ex-Rep. Ford: Booker Was Right," Politico, 5/21/12)

Mayor Cory Booker (D-Newark, NJ): "If You Look At The Totality Of Bain Capital's Record, They've Done A Lot To Support Businesses, To Grow Businesses, And This To Me, I'm Very Uncomfortable With." BOOKER: "I have to say from a very personal level I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity. To me, it's just, we're getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially, I know, I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record, they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses, and this to me, I'm very uncomfortable with." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 5/20/12)

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA): "I Think Bain Capital Was A Very Successful Business." (MSNBC's "Daily Rundown," 5/22/12)

Former Obama Economic Adviser Stephen Rattner: "I Think The [Obama] Ad Is Unfair... I Don't Think There's Anything Bain Capital Did That They Need To Be Embarrassed About." "Former Obama administration auto czar Steven Rattner said Monday that the Obama campaign's renewed attack on Mitt Romney's time in private equity was 'unfair.' 'I think the ad is unfair.' Rattner said. ... '[Bain Capital] did it superbly well, acting within the rules, acting very responsibly,' Rattner said. 'This is part of capitalism, this is part of life. I don't think there's anything Bain Capital did that they need to be embarrassed about.'" (Byron Tau, "Ex-Obama Adviser: Latest Anti-Romney Ad Is 'Unfair'," Politico, 5/14/12)

Obama Supporter And Bundler Don Peebles: "Any Type Of Attack And Vilification Of A Particular Industry Is Not Okay To Begin With." "Peebles, who is sometimes described as the largest-scale African-American real estate developer in the country, told BuzzFeed that he was wary of the ads by the Obama campaign and the pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA which have attacked Bain Capital. 'Any type of attack and vilification of a particular industry is not okay to begin with,' he said." (Zeke Miller, "Obama Bundler Decries 'Villification' Of Private Equity," BuzzFeed, 5/15/12)

President Obama Is Facing Democratic Defections Because There Are More Important Issues Facing The Country – Like The Nearly 23 Million Americans Struggling For Work:

During President Obama's Time In Office, The Nation Has Lost 572,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased To 8.1%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/21/12)

Nearly Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/21/12)

In April, "More Than 340,000 Workers Dropped Out Of The Labor Force." "April's jobs report was, in a word, disappointing. The economy added only 115,000 jobs. Hiring slowed. More than 340,000 workers dropped out of the labor force." (Charles Riley, "Why Obama Can't Match The Reagan Recovery," CNN Money, 5/4/12)

"More Than 5 Million Americans Have Been Unemployed For Six Months Or Longer..." "More than 5 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or longer, an astonishingly high number almost three years into a recovery." (Christopher S. Rugaber, "US Hiring Slows Sharply With Just 115K Jobs Added," The Associated Press, 5/4/12)

Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - Obama's Top Ten: Campaign Attacks Cause Ten Democrats To Balk Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/301271

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