As President Obama kicks off his convention week in Charlotte, N.C., his campaign has a new ad that doubles down on his charges that Mitt Romney‘s economic policies would harm the middle class.
“The middle class is carrying a heavy load in America,†the commercial says as images of a forlorn-looking mother and a worker in a hard hat appear on the screen. “But Mitt Romney doesn't see it.†A picture of Mr. Romney flashing a wide grin is shown, along with a picture of a stately brick mansion.
“So, Romney hits the middle class harder and gives millionaires and even bigger break. Is that the way forward for America?â€
The ad repeats the claim - made often by Mr. Obama and his allies - that Mr. Romney's economic plans would result in a tax increase for middle-class families while lowering taxes on people in the highest income brackets. A study by the left-leaning Brookings Institution found that to be the case.
The Romney campaign has sought to discredit that study, noting that its author served on the president's Council of Economic Advisers.
A Romney campaign spokeswoman sought to shift the focus toward the state of the economy since Mr. Obama took office, noting that “the middle class has been crushed under President Obama, but he doesn't seem to get it.â€
“Gas prices have doubled, incomes have dropped, poverty is headed toward 50-year highs and chronic unemployment is at unprecedented levels,†said the spokeswoman, Amanda Henneberg.
