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Alan speaks with Obama Campaign Press Secretary Ben LaBolt about Romney’s welfare attack ad, his tax returns, and foreign policy.
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And elegant and welcome back your microphones been local Press Secretary Obama for America.
You're obviously intensely involved in this day today.
-- campaign it's gonna drive you crazy.
That.
The Romney folks aided by running himself are.
Just misrepresenting so much of what the president has been doing and putting Apple's advertising like the one today.
And welfare reform.
Well I think it's telling that the first -- that the Romney campaign.
Ran during the general election.
Actually use the president quoting somebody else and did you go to go -- was coatings company exactly step.
Yet today that the attack was not only balls.
But it was hypocritical.
It talked about the administration's welfare to work program the entire purpose of the program is to strengthen.
The work requirement it -- say that if your state that has a better way to move more people from welfare to work.
Didn't you should be able to -- that.
That you get to demonstrate to the federal government that you can get 20% more people.
Off of welfare into work governor Romney is somebody who supported additional.
-- -- any additional flexibility.
When he was governor of Massachusetts he signed a letter with 28 other governors in 2005.
Arguing for additional flexibility for the state of Massachusetts and in fact it was more flexibility than.
But this administration has granted he want to get rid of the time limits.
In that letter in which somebody could stand welfare meaning that somebody could stay on welfare.
It definitely did administration will only support.
A waiver of this stake -- demonstrate that 20% more people are gonna move in the near term from welfare -- -- Some of what run he says in this and under Obama's plan he wouldn't have to work and wouldn't have to train for and god -- you send in your welfare check.
And welfare to work goes back to being -- welfare.
That's especially -- look you just not true but.
That's definitely right in you know president Clinton's former chief of staff job to -- -- -- a caller earlier today and made clear that.
President Clinton believes that this administration's program.
Reflects the well for -- law that he bad -- is that the President Clinton believes this is false and misleading.
Yeah I was get a chuckle in the run -- campaign tries to drive a wedge between President Clinton and President Obama because President Clinton has been absolutely clear that.
The direction in which Mitt Romney want to take this country more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires repealing Wall Street reform.
Is the wrong direction for this country.
Well they're real wedges between Mitt Romney in Republican governors consists largely Republican governors who want these waivers.
Well that's exactly right -- and we're talking about waiver requests from -- from Nevada but from ruby red you talk.
You know allies of governor Romney who requesting.
At the flexibility to move more people.
From welfare to work and and Rodney.
Not only is disagreeing with them today.
But in 2005.
He's the one who undermined the work requirement by signing that letter that would have allowed you to stand welfare and definitely.
Also the Republicans historically if so give us more local control this is exactly the -- exactly the kind of thing conservatives to always fight for is to make things more local -- -- federal.
So you would think that they'd be right in lockstep with.
Well that's exactly right ethical a lot of businesses smoke it Mears to distract from the fact that Mitt Romney doesn't want answered some of the questions that have been out there in his past couple weeks seat at the one answer questions about.
The nonpartisan report that came out last week that says he's gonna cut taxes on the top 5% of the population.
But raise them on 95% of the population your taxes to go out 2000 dollars a few the average middle class family.
With kids and -- one answer questions about why it's not releasing several years' worth of tax returns.
And whether you avoided paying his fair share.
It US taxes and wide open up that Swiss bank account and off toward his finances and tax havens like the Cayman Islands.
Is also running an issue free campaign in terms of the -- his tax issue.
These independent groups -- have looked at Romney's tax plan.
Had a extrapolate legacy hasn't been specific enough but the only way you make the ends meet and wait and make the numbers match -- take away some of the tax breaks for middle income Americans.
Well that's right we found out why he wasn't going to unveil during the course -- campaign how is gonna pay for those five trillion dollar tax cuts for the wealthiest.
Because these economists said that you can't do that without raising taxes on the middle class.
But it definitely extended domestic policy.
Take a look at his foreign policy you know.
A week or so ago he went and auditioned on the world stage and he's -- before the trip.
He was a good outline any policy to just be photo ops.
And fundraisers and even with that low bar.
Look at what happened while he was abroad committee set up -- sensitive diplomatic situation overseas.
I interviewed him on when he ran for office last time and he was specific about saying that.
Foreign policy that should -- -- the water's edge and he goes to Israel that's of course when bush was president now I just Israel.
And declares -- Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel which is making a foreign policy statement.
Well they are serious questions were raised -- that trip about.
Whether it's good discipline.
To handle this sensitivities of the international diplomacy it's one thing to make.
Domestic gas at home it's another thing to alienate one of our closest allies and that in the United Kingdom and and to trigger.
Sensitive diplomatic situations on a trip -- The tax issue is.
An awesome and it's -- -- get back that per second because this is so important so many Americans Obama is being called.
A wealth and redistribute or -- what he's actually done is cut taxes for 95% of working families and in his tax plan he would pay.
Four and some of the -- -- -- issues by raising taxes on those making over 250 and it wouldn't be that money would not go -- extra spending.
Which is with some of his detractors have said they would actually go and help the deficit issue.
Well he's got to balance plan to decrease the deficit by four trillion dollars in every bipartisan commission that looked at this and said.
-- a combination of tough spending cuts -- -- -- Two trillion dollars in cuts spending cuts and the law.
And revenue -- the -- to get this done and so it's time to let the tax cuts for the wealthiest that there is the middle -- can't afford.
To expire Mitt Romney's got -- They plan to extend and expand the tax cuts for the wealthiest to the tune of five trillion dollars.
And he would either explode the deficit by five trillion dollars or raise taxes on the middle class and and charge seniors.
Two to pay for them.
-- you get the message across about both what about the president has done and one fact he will do.
Here's his policies are much more specific then Mitt Romney who's talked in vague generalities -- put -- well a lot better 56 page report but it's all vague language.
Will ultimately Mitt Romney's campaign -- on the premise that.
If we continue to reward the wealthiest with special breaks if we strip -- oversight from banks and polluters that the market will take care of the routes.
And the problem with that philosophy is we tried it before we pass this tax cuts for the wealthiest in 2001 and 2003.
And it led to the slowest pace of job creation we've seen since World War II.
And I appreciate Judd India and it's going to be a -- hard fought campaign appreciate the -- we have a chance to speak.
-- in -- fine thanks very much a bendable Press Secretary Obama for America.
