WASHINGTON -- In a bit of pre-framing for Mitt Romney's major jobs speech on Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee is distributing talking points, calling the speech a paean to special interests, corporations and the Tea Party.
The talking points, which were passed on by a Democratic source, are being sent to operatives and offices on Capitol Hill. Coming before the speech is actually delivered, they illustrate what seem destined to be the major economic battle lines in the weeks, if not year, ahead.
The memo strives to portray Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, as a stooge of corporations. In that regard, the DNC is able to use Romney's own words against him -- namely, his stated belief that corporations are people. Buried at the bottom of the memo is a more interesting contrast, one that pegs President Obama as the candidate who will stand up to Wall Street.
"Unless Romney reverses course on Tuesday, he will join the cast of Republican candidates who want to double down on their vision of an economy built on Wall Street values instead of the President’s vision of an economy based on the middle class values of hard work, responsibility and making sure that everyone plays by the same rules."
Also worth noting is the memo's line about regulations. Romney, it reads, wants to “repeal job-destroying regulations,” and, in the process, let "Wall Street and special interests write their own rules." Unlike the other talking points, this one might be a tough sell. Just last week, the Obama administration infuriated the environmental community when it announced that it was canceling plans to strengthen Bush-era ozone level standards. The White House said the president's goal was to lessen regulatory uncertainty -- and by extension, encourage job growth.
Romney is set to speak at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. He outlined his speech in a USA Today op-ed Tuesday morning.
Below are the DNC talking points in full:
- There’s nothing new in Mitt Romney’s plan to give special interests the power to write their own rules, more tax breaks to large corporations and more tax cuts to the wealthiest, and there’s nothing in his plan to create opportunity and jobs for middle class families. These are the same policies that got us into the economic crisis that we are fighting to resolve.
- Mitt Romney has said he is “in sync” with the Tea Party, and if the economic plans he has committed to so far and his appearance at two Tea Party rallies over the weekend are any indication, this speech will simply rehash their ideas about letting corporations write their own rules and protecting tax breaks for special interests.
- Mitt Romney has endorsed the same Republican policies that have eroded economic security for middle class and working families for a decade. His support for the Tea Party backed economic plan (CCB/BBA) would end Medicare as we know it, cut K-12 education, and wipe out investments in critical programs that would create the jobs of the future. And it would put any Romney administration millions of jobs in the hole with few or any options for job creation in the short or long term.
- Mitt Romney’s record calls into question his claims about reviving the economy. Massachusetts was 47th out of 50th in job growth when he was Governor. According to the Boston Globe, his economic performance as Governor was one of the worst in the nation by all key labor market measures. He had the 3rd worst record on manufacturing jobs in the country. In the private sector, he managed an investment firm that specialized in eliminating American jobs and shipping them overseas.
- Mitt Romney believes “corporations are people” – which might be why his policies put corporations first.
- When Romney says “tax relief,” it means keep the tax loopholes for the large corporations and special interests that fund his campaign, leaving seniors and middle class families to foot the bill.
- When Romney says he wants to “repeal job-destroying regulations,” it means letting Wall Street and special interests write their own rules.
- Unless Romney reverses course on Tuesday, he will join the cast of Republican candidates who want to double down on their vision of an economy built on Wall Street values instead of the President’s vision of an economy based on the middle class values of hard work, responsibility and making sure that everyone plays by the same rules.