Decatur, Ala. | Wednesday, June 19, 2013
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Gloves come off
Obama, Romney not as polite this go-around, trading feisty charges on taxes, job creation, Libya and truthfulness
By Steve Peoples
Associated Press
Associated Press/Charlie Neibergall
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama spar during the second presidential debate Tuesday night at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Below, an audience member reads a question to the candidates.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — An aggressive President Barack Obama accused challenger Mitt Romney of favoring a “one-point plan” to help the rich in America and playing politics with the recent deadly terrorist attack in Libya in a Tuesday night debate crackling with energy and emotion just three weeks before the election.

Romney pushed back hard, saying the middle class “has been crushed over the last four years,” that 23 million Americans are struggling to find work and that the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya was part of an unraveling of the administration’s foreign policy.

The president was feistier from the outset than he had been in their initial encounter two weeks ago, when he turned in a listless performance that sent shudders through his supporters and helped fuel a rise by Romney in opinion polls nationally and in some battleground states.

Obama and Romney disagreed — forcefully and repeatedly — about taxes, measures to reduce the deficit, energy, pay equity for women and health care as well as foreign policy across 90 minutes of a town-hall style debate.

Immigration prompted yet another clash, Romney saying Obama had failed to pursue the comprehensive legislation he promised at the dawn of his administration, and the president saying Republican obstinacy made a deal impossible.

Romney gave as good as he got.

“You’ll get your chance in a moment. I’m still speaking,” the former Massachusetts governor said at one point while Obama was mid-sentence, drawing a gasp from the audience. He said the president’s policies had failed to jumpstart the economy and had cramped energy production.

The open-stage format left the two men free to stroll freely across a red-carpeted stage, and they did. Their clashes crackled with energy and tension, and the crowd watched raptly as the two sparred while struggling to appear calm and affable before a national television audience.

While most of the debate was focused on policy differences, there was one more-personal moment, when Obama said Romney had investments in China.

“Mr. President, have you looked at your pension?” Romney interrupted.

“You know, I don’t look at my pension. It’s not as big as yours,” shot back Obama to his wealthier rival.

Under the format agreed to in advance, members of an audience of 82 uncommitted voters posed questions to the president and his challenger.

Nearly all of them concerned domestic policy until one raised the subject of the recent death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya in a terrorist attack at an American post in Benghazi. Romney said it took Obama a long time to admit the episode had been a terrorist attack, but Obama said he had said so the day after in an appearance in the Rose Garden outside the White House.

When moderator Candy Crowley of CNN said the president had in fact done so, Obama, prompted, “Say that a little louder, Candy.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken responsibility for the death of Ambassador L. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, but Obama said bluntly, “I’m the president, and I’m always responsible.”

Romney said it was “troubling” that Obama continued with a campaign event in Las Vegas on the day after the attack in Libya, an event the Republican said had “symbolic significance and perhaps even material significance.”

Obama seemed to bristle. He said it was offensive for anyone to allege that he or anyone in his administration had used the incident for political purposes. “That’s not what I do.”

One intense exchange focused on competing claims about whether energy production is increasing or slowing. Obama accused Romney of misrepresenting what has happened — a theme he returned to time and again. Romney strode across the stage to confront Obama face to face, just feet from the audience.

Both men pledged a better economic future to a young man who asked the first question, a member of a pre-selected audience of 82 uncommitted voters.

Then the president’s determination to show a more aggressive side became evident.

Rebutting his rival’s claim to a five-point plan to create 12 million jobs, Obama said, “Gov. Romney says he’s got a five-point plan. Gov. Romney doesn’t have a five-point plan. He has a one-point plan. And that plan is to make sure that folks at the top play by a different set of rules.”

“That’s been his philosophy in the private sector,” Obama said of his rival. “That’s been his philosophy as governor. That’s been his philosophy as a presidential candidate. You can make a lot of money and pay lower tax rates than somebody who makes a lot less.”

“You can ship jobs overseas and get tax breaks for it. You can invest in a country, bankrupt it, lay off the workers, strip away their pensions and you still make money. That’s exactly the philosophy that we’ve seen in place for the last decade,” the president said in a scorching summation.

Unable to respond at length because of the debate’s rules, Romney said the accusations were “way off the mark.”

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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10 comments on this item

Candy Crowley walked back those comments

It was hard to do considering she was carrying buckets for the Obama camp, but she did it. As a moderator, she was way out of line to fact check a debater on the spot. In the end, that will do more to damage her reputation than it will have an effect on the election.

I agree John, and right after the debate the fact checkers proved her and Obama to be wrong. She would be wrong to correct either one even if it were so. That's not the moderator's job.

@R - Lying to are we? Must be part of Mittens campaign?! Get the facts straight and don't twist it.

OBAMA: The day after the (Benghazi) attack I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said we are going to hunt down those who committed this crime.

ROMNEY: I think it’s interesting that the President just said something which is that one the day after the attack, he went in the Rose garden and said this was an act of terror. (Obama nods) Obama(OFF-MIKE): That’s what I said ROMNEY: You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack it was “an act of terror?” It was not a spontaneous demonstration (17) Obama: please proceed Romney: Is that what you’re saying? (38) Romney: I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the President 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror. Obama: Get the transcript Candy: He did in fact sir (50)

ABC’s Dana Hughes has the facts:

Moderator Candy Crowley is right that Obama called the attack “act of terror” on September 12th, the day after the attack.

“No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done,” said the President that day.

BUT – and there’s a big but.

Romney is right in that administration officials continued to say the attack was spontaneous, and came from a protest and it wasn’t Obama but Carney who said the President considered it a terror attack on Sept. 26, 14 days later.

A reporter asked Jay Carney about the president’s assessment between Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.

“Is there any reason why the president did not – he was asked point-blank in “The View” interview, is this a terrorist attack, yes or no? Is there any reason he didn’t say ‘Yes’?”

“He answered the question that was asked, and there’s no reason that he chose the words he did beyond trying to provide a full explanation of his views and his assessment that we need to await further information that the investigation will uncover,” said Carney. “But it is certainly the case that it is our view as an administration, the president’s view, that is was a terrorist attack.”

It's about time we get a Mormon in the White House! Americans need to know the truth about Jesus and the planet Kolob!

Obama never answered a single question asked of him. Sure he talked alot but he talked all around the questions, never directly giving the person asking a direct answer.

Virginia, you are wrong, go back and read the transcript of what Obama,said, not what he should have said. If Obama believed that then why did Ambassador Rice, SOT Clinton and others repeatedly say it was the video??

Crowley was proven incorrect as well and stated that to Gov. Romney at the end of that conversation.

The transcript speaks for itself, there is no need to entertain ignorance, you can't change the facts no matter how you feel about the President. THE TRANSCRIPT IS A FACT! Who cares if you believe it. And someone must be confused about who didn't and couldn't answer any questions last night because that person was Romney. I thought I was listening to an episode of Charlie Brown, womp! womp! womp! Talking a whole bunch of lies and nothing. Still trying to make people believe that 2+2 isn't four. Like President Obama told him, if someone asked him to invest his money in a business based on five points with no plan put together to make those points materialize until after he give them his money, he wouldn't invest. But, yet some people are falling for the nonsense. Dora the Explorer could create a ten point plan to create 30 million jobs, I guess you would vote for her too.

DECATUR, transcripits mean nothing as you say but the fact is a terrorist act was committed and he and his administration will do nothing, I repeat nothing but talk and blame others. I know first hand how he treats terrorists, I have been in a combat zone under Bush and there when Obama took control. If you understand what Rules of Engagement mean then I assure you the ones defending this country in Afghanistan and previously Iraq will tell you he has compassion for Muslim and Islamic extremists. Prime example, he changed the policy for ROE of firing upon the enemy after confirmation they are trying to engage in a hostile act to not being able to fire until they have sights on you and fire first. If you fire first before being fired upon then you will have charges brought against you and a pending investigation. If you agree with Obama then you have never put the uniform on to defend this country, just like him.

The Government need to help the people

I would vote for Dora over obammy!!

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