Further proof of the obsession Obama and his heart throbs at the Democrat National Committee have for Mitt Romney – they continue to aggressively target him. Viewing him as the likely GOP nominee, they released a piece-of-work ad yesterday, which includes the ‘usual’ – misleading use of Romney’s past words, taking quotes out of context (their usual modus operandi), etc. They also put the stink on the internet in the form of a new anti-Romney website and held misleading press conference calls.

While campaigning in Florida today, Romney was asked about the DNC’s latest actions. He replied that he took it as proof that he’s doing well. Romney also added, “Bring it on!”

Romney’s Press office released a long list of legislators who issued statements on the Democratic National Committee’s misleading advertisement and press conference calls:

TIM PAWLENTY: OBAMA DOES NOT WANT TO DEFEND THREE YEARS OF FAILURE

“President Obama’s policies have been utter failures for the middle class: he has failed to create jobs and has burdened future generations with massive amounts of debt. This Administration does not want to campaign against Mitt Romney and be forced to defend three years of failure. Instead of focusing on the middle class and job creation, President Obama and Democrats are focused on campaigning and trying to tear down Mitt Romney.”

OH LEGISLATORS HOTTINGER, ROSENBERGER AND WAGONER: PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT FOCUSED ON JOB CREATION

“President Obama’s policies have failed to bring jobs back to Ohio and have devastated the middle class. The last thing that President Obama and his Democratic allies want to do is campaign against Mitt Romney and be responsible for three years of job losses and rising debt. Instead of focusing on revitalizing our economy, President Obama and Democrats only want to focus on tearing down Mitt Romney.”

WI SEN. TED KANAVAS: PRESIDENT OBAMA FOCUSED ON TEARING DOWN MITT ROMNEY, NOT CREATING JOBS

“President Obama’s policies have failed to create jobs in Wisconsin and have devastated the middle class. The last thing that President Obama and his campaign want to do is run against Mitt Romney and be held accountable for the economic failures of the last three years. So, instead of trying to create jobs for the middle class, President Obama and his campaign have focused on tearing down Mitt Romney.”

MA HOUSE MINORITY LEADER BRAD JONES: “WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP IN THE WHITE HOUSE”

“President Obama’s policies have been failures that continue to wreak havoc on the middle class. Instead of creating jobs and helping the middle class, President Obama and his campaign continue to focus on tearing down Mitt Romney. After three years of failed policies, it is clear that we need new leadership in the White House.”

SEN. MEL MARTINEZ: ROMNEY WILL DEFEAT OBAMA ON ECONOMY

“It is unsurprising that President Obama and the Democratic Party machine are relentlessly attacking Mitt Romney. Having failed to turn around the economy, they have no choice but to run a negative campaign against the presidential candidate best equipped to bring them to account for three years of economic mismanagement that has left millions of Americans without work.”

NH SEN. JEB BRADLEY: OBAMA CAMPAIGN ATTEMPTING TO DISTRACT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION’S DISMAL RECORD

“After three years in office, President Obama has failed to create jobs and turn around the economy. Instead, his policies continue to cripple the middle class and pile on staggering amounts of debt. As millions of Americans look for work, the Obama campaign and Democrats are attempting to distract attention away from this administration’s dismal record. The attack they have launched against Mitt Romney shows just how worried they are about facing him in the general election.”

FORMER IOWA GOP CHAIRMAN BRIAN KENNEDY: OBAMA TRYING TO DISTRACT VOTERS FROM FAILED ECONOMIC RECORD

“President Obama’s policies have failed the middle class. It is clear that this Administration would rather distract from its failed record and not talk about the economy. Instead of creating jobs and getting spending under control, President Obama and his Democratic allies have focused on attacking Mitt Romney.”

Continue reading after the fold…

Read more…

Radio commentator Laura Ingraham was right when she said: “Without a doubt, the most forceful commentary about China cheating on trade, the effects on the U.S. economy, and holding China accountable have come from Governor Romney.”

Romney continues to speak out on USA trade inequities with China. Here’s part of his op-ed published yesterday in the Washington Post:

China must respect the free-trade system

The feckless economic policies of the Obama administration have resulted in a 10 percent decline in our median income, persistent unemployment above 8 percent and collapsing home and asset values.

Understandably, some ask whether we should abandon the economic principles behind our historic prosperity. Should government redistribute wealth? Is free enterprise a flawed system? Should we abandon free trade? No, no and no. Redistribution is what once impoverished China and the Soviet Union. Free enterprise is the only permanent cure for poverty. Free trade has the demonstrated ability to make the people of both trading nations more prosperous.

But for free enterprise and free trade to work their magic, laws and rules that guide the participants are essential to prevent distortions and abuses. If the rules are modern and dynamic, enterprise can thrive. If they are burdensome and antiquated, enterprise will stall. For rules to be effective, of course, all players must abide by them. The incentive to cheat can be enormous. So is the harm that cheating can cause.

China is a case in point. Having embraced free enterprise to some degree, the Chinese government and Chinese companies have quickly divined the benefits of ignoring the rules followed by others. China seeks advantage through systematic exploitation of other economies. It misappropriates intellectual property by coercing “technology transfers” as a condition of market access; enables theft of intellectual property, including patents, designs and know-how; hacks into foreign commercial and government computers; favors and subsidizes domestic producers over foreign competitors; and manipulates its currency to artificially reduce the price of its goods and services abroad.

The result is that China sells high-quality products to the United States at low prices. But too often the source of that high quality is American innovations stolen by Chinese companies. And the source of those low prices is too often subsidies from the Chinese government or manipulation of the Chinese currency.

Some argue that access to quality goods at low prices is good for our consumers. But like the predatory pricing prohibited under our antitrust laws, China’s underpriced products lead to an undesirable and inefficient elimination of competing businesses, with serious long-term consequences. And in this case, the businesses killed are often our own. Meanwhile, American companies do not even get the supposed benefit of the free-trade bargain: When they try to do business in the Chinese market, they find policies designed to shut them out.

Candidate Obama talked tough about China’s trade policies; President Obama has whispered about them. China smiles, diverts attention by criticizing the United States and merrily continues to eat our economic lunch. Who can blame the Chinese for ignoring our timid complaints when the status quo has served them so well?

Actually doing something about China’s cheating makes some people nervous. Not doing something makes me nervous. We are warned that we might precipitate a trade war. Really? China is selling us $273 billion per year more than America is selling China — why would it possibly want a trade war?

And what is the alternative to confronting China? It is allowing the Chinese to take by trade surrender what we fear to lose in trade war.

(emphasis added )

CONTINUE reading here.

► Jayde Wyatt

We’ve got a couple of Romney interviews to share with you today, plus a Dick Morris LUNCH ALERT! video on Rick Perry…

On September 15, Mitt Romney was interviewed by Charlie Rose, host of the nightly PBS television program Charlie Rose:

The Republican Presidential hopeful stacks his job creation plan up against Obama’s—and talks about trade, taxes, and China.

What’s the essential difference between your approach and President Obama’s jobs plan?
The President’s plan is another short-term stimulus effort, akin to throwing a cup of gasoline on embers. What America needs is a more fundamental reform of the foundation of our economy to stimulate growth, investment, and hiring. The plan I’ve proposed is far more fundamental and far-reaching than a mere stimulus.
[...]
Do tax cuts create jobs?
When we tax people—the word tax means to burden—we take away part of their earnings. And if we spend that money on things that are not essential, we make it more difficult for the economy to grow and for people to have good jobs and rising disposable income. So tax cuts, which encourage investment and growth, ultimately lead to more jobs and higher revenues for the government. That’s why I propose a zero income tax for middle-income earners on their savings, meaning there would be no tax on interest, dividends, or capital gains for people earning $200,000 a year or less.

How would you attack the housing market’s problems?
The best way to encourage an increase in housing values is to have more Americans earning better wages and salaries so they can afford to buy houses. An economy with over 9 percent of her people unemployed and with stagnated wages is almost by definition going to have a troubled housing sector. And the best focus is not on bailing people out of housing problems but growing our economy and creating the conditions that lead businesses and entrepreneurs to invest.

Like Obama, you’re calling for more free-trade agreements. Unlike him, you’re calling for sanctions against China. Does that risk a trade war?
Trade is good for America if the trade agreements are created in a way that is mutually beneficial. … [But] if people, as in China, steal our intellectual property, hack into our computer systems, and manipulate their currency to artificially depress the prices of their goods, then we can’t simply sit by and pretend that’s not happening. We must take action against cheaters, or the agreements themselves will work to harm America’s industry and workers.

Full transcript may be found here.

Click here for AUDIO of the Rose/Romney interview.

Yesterday, The Gov was interviewed by Brian Kilmeade on his FOX News radio show Kilmeade and Friends. Kilmeade also co-hosts the weekday morning program Fox & Friends:

Dick Morris’ LUNCH ALERT! video series:

In this video commentary, I discuss Rick Perry’s chances of winning the GOP presidential nomination. He was way out ahead. Then he took some tough shots. Will Rick Perry make it?

Morris discusses five major Perry liabilities; video here.

H/T Crystal, Morris video

► Jayde Wyatt