Obama Attacks GOP Candidates in Minn., but White House Says Trip Is Not Campaign-Related

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CNSnews:


(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama attacked the Republican presidential candidates Monday as part of a taxpayer-funded bus tour that the White House insists is not campaign-related.

The president’s three-day bus tour through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois is supposed to focus on jobs. But during a town hall meeting in Cannon Falls, Minn., Obama mentioned last Thursday’s Republican debate in Ames, Iowa, and he criticized the candidates for saying they would not accept any deficit-reduction deal that includes tax increases.

“I know it’s not election season yet,” Obama said two days after the GOP’s Ames straw poll, “but I just have to mention, the debate the other party candidates were having the other day -- when they were asked to reduce our deficit, reduce our debt, would you be willing to take a deal where it was $5 of spending cuts for every $1 of increased revenues, who would take it? Everybody said no.

“They said, how about 10 to 1? Ten dollars of cuts for every dollar increase in revenue?” Obama continued. “Are you saying that none of you would take it -- and everybody raised their hand. None of them would take it. Think about that. I mean, that’s just not common sense.”
During last Thursday’s Republican debate, a panelist asked candidates if they would accept a deficit and debt reduction deal that included tax hikes even if it was $1 in tax increases for every $10 in spending cuts. All eight GOP candidates on the stage raised their hands saying they would oppose a 10-1 deal. (See earlier story)

On the (non)campaign-trail in Minnesota Monday, Obama defended his health care plan by taking a swipe at Republican Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who advocated and signed into law a health care plan that included an individual mandate.

“This should not be controversial, but it has become controversial partly because of people’s view that -- well, let me just say this,” Obama said. “You’ve got a governor who’s running for president right now who instituted the exact same thing in Massachusetts -- this used to be a Republican idea, by the way, this whole idea of the individual mandate, and suddenly some -- it’s like they got amnesia.”