Rick Santorum Ad Says Romney 'Did Nothing For Michigan Workers'

Rick Santorum's campaign came out Friday morning with a new ad hitting Mitt Romney for opposing the auto bailout in late 2008, ignoring the fact that Santorum also opposed the bailout.

But it's the language on screen in the ad that's the more curious aspect.

"Romney did nothing for Michigan workers," the text reads in yellow letters superimposed on top of a picture of a man in a hard hat, with Romney's face jutting into the other half of the screen.

What does that mean? What could Romney have done? He was out of political office, in no position to do much more than offer his opinion publicly, which he did. The typical line from Democrats in attacking Romney's opposition to the bailout has been that he said Detroit should be left to "go bankrupt."

So it's a clumsily delivered attack by Santorum's campaign. But in the end, that probably won't matter too much, since the bigger point will still get through to most voters.

"He supported the Wall Street bailouts for his buddies but did not support the bailouts for the auto industry," said Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley. "It's a lack of principle and a lack of character on his part."

Romney's argument is that he supported a managed bankruptcy for the auto companies, which eventually was the course that President Barack Obama took. The real dispute is whether a managed bankruptcy financed by private sector money would have been possible late in 2008, when capital was largely frozen.

Watch the ad here:

 

 

Comments

[paultec1]

12:01 PM on 02/25/2012

Ricky,you would cut 5 trillion in 5 years and cut corp taxes to 0 and cut taxes to workers,hmmm......even I can see that doesn't add up.but it was a nice comercial.

[pb28]

12:00 PM on 02/25/2012

No mention of RS being in favor of letting the auto industry going bankrupt

[pb28]

11:58 AM on 02/25/2012

RS's plan does this if by workers you mean millionaires

[Shelly Santiago]

11:47 AM on 02/25/2012

I'm not a Democrat or Republican! With that said, I would have to say Obama did more for Michigan that either one of these men. What happened in Michigan is very sad. The schools closed down, and people could go on Ebay and buy houses in those areas for maybe 800 a pop.I have never known America to give up on a state, but Michigan was turned into nothing. You had people from other countries coming down buying up some of the houses so that they could rent them to the Americans that worked so hard to get them in the first place. If you want to know how bad Michigan is..go look on Ebay, and you will see how many houses come up for purchase...for nothing. If you aren't in the 1% you aren't worthy..in the eyes of the republicans. It's not about education...it is about money, money, money..Think about all the educated people that lost their jobs in Michigan.

[paultec1]

12:03 PM on 02/25/2012

It should be criminal.

[celtslord]

11:22 AM on 02/25/2012

They shouldn't of been bailed out. They had ignored what people have wanted since 1976. What have they done to give back on the investment the tax payers have put into them hmm....There should be no safety net for company's if you screw up and ignore your market you should fail.

[SquareDeal]

11:04 AM on 02/25/2012

The only candidate that did anything for Michigan workers was president Obama. Rick forgot that part.

[SquareDeal]

10:56 AM on 02/25/2012

And let's increase taxes for the non-workers, you know the 1% Americans who sit on their yachts and in their mansions and clip coupons. Its time that they did their share too to get this economy moving again.

[paultec1]

12:04 PM on 02/25/2012

Coupons ? second rolex at 20 % off !

[stephan67]

10:43 AM on 02/25/2012

GOP's only mission is to strengthen the 1%ers.Period.

[yumster]

10:32 AM on 02/25/2012

Chicken Hawks, where are we going to find money for wars when Santorum wants to cut taxes to zero?

[JustinKase]

09:36 AM on 02/25/2012

My Grandmother would have described Mitt as, " . . . a yard wide, and an inch deep". I can't imagine how she would have described Santorum. But I never heard her swear.

[rubesbyu]

03:05 AM on 02/25/2012

Has a Starship troopers commercial type of feel to it.

[CptKendrick]

09:02 AM on 02/25/2012

Would you like to know more?

[paultec1]

12:06 PM on 02/25/2012

no

[The ORF in Largo]

04:46 PM on 02/24/2012

Romeny has never does anything FOR workers anywhere; he's into doing TO workers

[paultec1]

12:08 PM on 02/25/2012

Just do it ! is his nike motto.

[satyrday]

01:46 PM on 02/24/2012

Nobody in the GOP did anything for Michigan workers, except try to export their jobs and cut their wages.

[stephan67]

10:41 AM on 02/25/2012

Very true.

[obamathegreat235]

01:31 PM on 02/24/2012

Santorum: Romney 'Did Nothing' For Workers In Key State"----Romney did nothing for anyone! but himself and his sinister ambitions against America!

[A Meat Beetle]

01:28 PM on 02/24/2012

Of course he did nothing for workers. He's a Republican. They never do anything for workers, just for bosses.