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Rove on welfare reform, campaign fundraising

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    Former Bush adviser talks 2012 race

  • Duration 9:46
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Governor Mitt Romney out on a fundraising trip to Texas today but his running mate is making his first campaign appearance.

In Pennsylvania.

It's just key swing -- -- Jenna was mentioning with.

Twenty electoral votes up for grabs.

Just moments from now Paul Ryan is expected to take the stage at this rally in Carnegie well where he will address steel plant workers.

The president returns to Ohio and Nevada today yesterday mr.

-- -- made himself available to the national press for the first time in months.

And responded the governor Romney's claim that he got -- work requirements for welfare recipients.

Everybody -- looked at this -- is what governor Romney saying is absolutely wrong.

Not only or this super -- -- and millions of dollars worth it's making this plan governor Romney himself is approving this and saying it on the -- So the the contrast I think it's pretty strong that's.

You know they can run a campaign that they want.

But but the truth of the matter is.

You can't just make stuff.

In New Hampshire yesterday congressman Ryan went after the president on the economy.

Let's be very clear and fair the president inherited a difficult situation no two ways about that.

Problem is he made things worse.

And that's why the president has run out of ideas.

And so.

His campaign has now been relegated to waging a campaign.

Based on frustration and anger.

Dividing people distracting people to try and win an election by default.

Karl Rove is with us he's a former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to George W.

Bush also a Fox News contributor Karl -- we have a lot to talk to you about today.

A lot of -- observers from the Republican side have said that the addition of Paul Ryan to Mitt Romney's ticket has energized him as a candidate.

That they are more than the sum of their parts do you agree.

I do I think this is a bold choice by governor Romney and the vice presidential pick matters to the degree that it emphasizes and reinforces the themes and messages.

An attitude of the of these guys who's at the top of the -- and obviously.

Governor Romney wanted to make the deficit debt spending and entitlement reform perform -- great social safety net the centerpiece of this campaign and his administration.

You heard though the president there in that first appearance in front of the white house press corps and a couple of months.

Complaining about the Romney campaign just making -- stuff up what's your thought on that.

Well first call the president is wrong on this -- it is his administration the Department of Health and Human Services which use distorting it under section 402 of the welfare reform law.

To try and modify the provisions in section 407 to describe how long you can be on welfare what the definition of work is.

And and and how you can exit the welfare program all of which -- in the congress Democrat -- Republican put in the statute and said.

Nothing in section 407 is wave mobile.

He had -- president is used authority under another section to try and change -- section of the law that nobody can wave.

And the president's made it clear in the letter that the Department of Health and Human Services put out it said we will make it and we will not approve any policies which reduce welfare benefits.

And look that clearly the president was trying to signal to a liberal supporters it was going to be more.

Generous in defining how you could exit from welfare.

Less restrictive -- how you define work and he got caught and now he's he's bellowing but it does it's.

The I eighty all you gotta do is read these several page letter from the department health and human services.

And look at the two requisite sections of the welfare law and it's clear to anybody that this is a way to weaken welfare to work requirements.

Let's take a look at some of the fundraising numbers and four Mitt Romney in the Republicans.

They're looking strong right now sixty million dollars.

More than the president has on hand President Obama.

Had never raised about a 127.

Million.

As of July -- had about a 127 million on hand that's down from a 146.

Million the month before.

Governor Romney with a 185.

Million on hand in.

On and at the end of July that's popping up from modern seventy million the month before.

Well look if there's even more damaging pattern here you're right.

There's a 62 million dollar advantage to the Republicans at the end of July but remember at the end of April.

The Democrats had 95 million dollars more cash on hand in the Republicans.

At the end of may 61 million at the end of June 26 million India by the end of July.

The the cash advantage of President Obama enjoyed was -- a wise it's important.

Well first of all we're all creatures of habit in politics and four years ago President Obama won in large part because he outspent John McCain between June and November.

The me the the McCain campaign spent 525.

Million dollars.

But the Democrats -- Obama the DNC spent 850.

And I think that the Obama campaign this time around by schedule -- all these presidential fundraisers 205 today.

Was thinking we can just over power -- of the Republican nominee is with money.

And does so they raised a lot of money and then they began spending and on May fifteenth with a massive television blitz and yet you know after.

-- -- -- two and a half three months nearly three months of that the races deadlocked and president Obama's run through his cash and no longer has a cash advantage enjoyed this frankly.

-- even in July the Obama campaign's been about forty million dollars on television advertising the Romney campaign's been about sixteen million.

From the president's advisors say they can overcome any cash deficits because they've got a better ground game a better.

Get out the vote effort than the Republicans do that.

Well.

Well we don't know we do know this that one of the tests of that is voter registration in 2008 they -- heck of a good job.

In increasing democratic voter registration as did the Republican ground game in 2004 but thus far this year Democrat registrations are down precipitously.

And battleground states that have partisan registration and not much evidence last fall in the fall elections in states like Virginia.

That in North Carolina that that the Democrats get out the vote.

Effort was very successful.

We certainly didn't see that worked in Wisconsin where they should have had one heck of a ground game.

In the special election earlier this year -- to throw governor Scott Walker and.

-- we are no -- talking about the upcoming a Republican Convention in Tampa as well we know the governor Chris Christie is going to be the keynote speaker opening night.

What does he bring to the table.

Well he's a pugnacious straight talk in New Jersey governor who calls them like he sees a man as a result.

Is you know sort of every man's -- have favored governor I mean he's gonna give a terrific speech he's going to be straightforward as he is I'd hate to be the guy inside the convention apparatus who has two.

Negotiate every for every speech has to be reviewed by.

The officials of the kind of the presidential campaign so everything fits together.

But I'd hate to be the guy trended trying to negotiate with Governor Christie and his people over what the governor may or may not say there's going to be I suspect one heck of a memorable speech.

Let's talk about that controversy going on in Missouri where congressman Todd -- Made the remarks on Sunday morning that have really inflame them and so many on both sides of the political -- In fact your own group crossroads -- has to hold the five million dollars.

In support money it was planning to spend on his behalf as I understand it.

What is his future he can pull out of the race by tonight at 5 PM he says he's going to stay.

-- he does have the ability to withdraw tonight by 5 PM in which case the Missouri Republican central committee.

Would does choose his replacement on the ballot if he remains on the ballot you're right crossroads GPS will and crossroads will not spend any money in the race.

After those damaging statements -- -- to try and differentiate between what's a legitimate rape and an illegitimate raised -- believing somehow.

That.

A woman's body would reject a pregnancy if it was an -- legitimate rape -- that in these were reprehensible.

And the deplorable comments and there's no way he can recover in my opinion so.

Our group decided if he remains a nominee there's no reason -- -- -- good money after bad by.

By but by trying to win this seat so it's his choice he gets to decide whether remains or not.

But this is a comment is one of those unfortunate things it that is so bad so deplorable so out of touch and that there's no way to recover in my opinion from a.

We're also getting word that of before.

Large figures in -- Missouri politics and political history.

Former senators Danforth Ashcroft bond and blunt are all planning -- news conference.

Or at least issue a statement today asking him to get out of the race.

Does that does that suggest that -- has no future.

Well look the -- reaction has been universal it's been from the grassroots it's been from all across the party.

You know -- no -- cannot he was in the congress when I worked in the bush White House.

I know it's hard I know his face he's a good man but he said something -- from which he cannot recover in which will.

Damage him irreparable Lee and if he cares about the future of of his state I think the right thing to do was to step -- and give someone else a chance to win the -- -- call Karl Rove a Fox News contributor Carl always -- to get your insights thank you.

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