Bill Clinton: Mitt Romney's Father Must Be 'Turning Over In His Grave' Over Auto Bailout Opposition

Former President Bill Clinton chastised Mitt Romney for opposing the U.S. auto bailout on Thursday, saying the Republican presidential hopeful's late father -- who was governor of Michigan for three terms -- would not be impressed.

"Every time I hear Mr. Romney talking about this, I think his daddy must be turning over in his grave," Clinton said, according to the Detroit News. "We could not afford to lose a million and a half to 2 million jobs."

Romney has been a staunch opponent of the auto bailout since 2008, when he wrote an op-ed for the New York Times entitled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."

The former Massachusetts governor was forced to defend his position while campaigning for the Michigan primary, which he ultimately won on Tuesday. At the GOP debate held in Arizona, less than a week before the primary, Romney reiterated that auto companies should have been left to go bankrupt.

"No way would we allow the auto industry to totally implode and disappear," Romney said. "It would go through bankruptcy."

During Thursday's speech to the United Auto Workers (UAW), Clinton also praised President Barack Obama for his handling of the bailout, framing it as his greatest achievement.

"I happened to think this auto industry package is the most important thing that was initiated by President Obama and the administration," he said.

Obama's re-election campaign is wasting no time reminding voters how the president and Romney differ on this issue. In the days leading up to the primary, it aired a television ad in Michigan highlighting how Obama handled the auto bailout and emphasizing Romney's opposition to it.

Earlier on HuffPost:

 

 

Comments

[easandoval]

11:31 AM on 05/03/2012

Who is running for a second term? Obama or Bill Clinton? Obama’s father would be turning over his grave knowing that an impeached former president is campaigning for him because his son has not a good record to run on. His administration has been a disgrace creating trillions of dollars in debt in the first three years. What about if he is not stopped and continues for four more years? The United States would not be more than an European country.

[Keir Weimer]

08:29 AM on 04/26/2012

Keir Weimer strongly believes that more people need to evaluate candidates based on their views, positions on the issues, and their entire family and personal story. Mr. Romney has been consistently portrayed as an out-of-touch wealthy businessman, who will be unable to relate and address the main concerns of the average American.

Keir Weimer believes this to be a patently false and dangerous misconception that must be quelled immediately. If those who from the elitist left and the intelligentsia in this country can remember correctly, FDR, JFK, LBJ and many more liberal democrats who have been president were from extremely wealthy families, and this was never an issue or concern from the other side.

Keir Weimer strongly feels that wealth is a non-issue with regard to one's ability to relate, lead and be Commander-in-Chief of this great country. When we put this distraction aside and focus on the pressing issues facing us, we will soon realize that from a position and policy standpoint, Mr. Romney has a distinctly better plan for leading the country in the right direction as we approach this grave crossroads in American politics.

-Keir Weimer

[USAmama]

10:23 PM on 03/02/2012

Remember the CEO's of GM flying to Washington DC in their Jumbo Jet asking for a bailout? I agree with Mitt!! Bankruptcy isn't the end of the world, but a reorganization of debts. Instead we footed the bill.

[l78lancer]

05:51 PM on 03/02/2012

Apparently Mitt's vision of the new American car industry is the offices of Toyota, Nisan and Hyundai prominent in the Detroit skyline.

[one09flat04]

12:40 PM on 03/02/2012

Where is Romney coming from on being anti the auto bail out...where all one percent corporate Republicans stand! With one fell stroke the bankruptcy of the auto industry would wipe out all the auto worker benefits (earned or excessive) and start the negotiations all over again from lower starting point! Romney is just supporting Republican pseudo-conservative politics in order to put more profits in the pockets of the one percenter cortporation executives! It's so simple...and evil! Roland C. Woodaka

[USAmama]

10:28 PM on 03/02/2012

Balogna!! The auto industries can't afford the lucrative pensions set up, and forced by the Union. $2,000 of every new American car sold goes towards the workers pensions, and benefits. If the company can't afford it, then they need to make cuts. Hello reality! If my business goes under I won't be getting a bailout from the government. They would not have foiled, but tightened their belts.

[escoffier51]

09:37 AM on 03/02/2012

mitt is a real reason for birth control ,but i quess his father did not have any asprins

[rMatey]

09:17 AM on 03/02/2012

Bill and Hillary better watch out. They're high on the Moronic list for after death baptisms.

[rt1027]

08:32 AM on 03/02/2012

who cares what the spouse of the secretary of state has to say

laughing

[one09flat04]

12:42 PM on 03/02/2012

A little more than your empty comment! rcw

[Cappy Cap]

02:11 PM on 03/02/2012

That would be the former President Clinton, which would be as always considered President Clinton. Hillary is stepping down at the end of the term so what will you call him then ? Romney is still called Governor Romney and Santorum is still called Senator Santorum Right ?

Plenty of people care what President Clinton has to say. Remember all those commercials he made with President George H.W. Bush during the Bush II term ? Apparently even Bush and his father care what President Clinton says ! Many wish President Clinton could serve yet again !

[rt1027]

04:21 AM on 03/03/2012

the spouse clinton is just that the spouse..........while many could care less what the spouse has to say.........

[obe4]

08:13 AM on 03/02/2012

Well BJ bill at least he knows who his father is !

[stephan67]

07:30 AM on 03/02/2012

Romney: I don't care if millions of lives are destroyed.I'm the King of Bain after all.

[Voice of Reality]

07:14 AM on 03/02/2012

This from the former First Felon. The man that has been accused of multiple felonies, perjury and adultery. The man impeached by Congress. I'm sure your father is proud wherever he is. Would someone please tell the former First Felon to go away quietly. No one is interested in anything he has to say.

[rt1027]

08:32 AM on 03/02/2012

very true

[prudencehall]

09:27 AM on 03/02/2012

Please don't speak for me, Voice. You said "No one is interested in anything he [Bill Clinton] has to say." I care what Bill Clinton has to say. His two terms in the White House were among the most prosperous and peaceful times in our history.

[JuliaDemJules2020]

05:40 AM on 03/02/2012

Romney walks around without a thing of importance to say. He can't get his answers correct when he does comment. " I do not want to get into birthcontrol between a Husband and Wife",,,,,,the next day he stated" I did not understand the question. "Of course I believe in birthcontrol.

Meanwhile President Obama delivered another outstanding speech to the auto workers.

[Jack Knowlton]

05:27 AM on 03/02/2012

"Every time I hear Mr. Romney talking about this, I think his daddy must be turning over in his grave," Clinton said, according to the Detroit News. "We could not afford to lose a million and a half to 2 million jobs."

Damn, Bill's still got it. I hope he speaks out more in the coming months.

[luapmi2]

03:39 AM on 03/02/2012

Dang...Bill looks like a wallking heart attack!

[Grabit]

03:52 AM on 03/02/2012

Perhaps. But at least he wasn't made in a lab like the Republicans.

[luapmi2]

04:17 AM on 03/02/2012

Is the grave better than a lab?

[Voice of Reality]

08:18 AM on 03/02/2012

But he was programmed by the liberal biased press/media and labor unions like most Dims and Demobots.

[spidermom]

06:11 AM on 03/02/2012

really? Looks like someone that's on a healthy diet and working out and isn't a couch potatoe.

[PandaUnbound]

02:50 AM on 03/02/2012

clinton is the last person to be making a judgement about Mitt Romney. The bailout was a total fraud.

[Jabs Holt]

03:25 AM on 03/02/2012

Oh yea !....Top Execs walked out with millions for running their companies into the ground !

[JuliaDemJules2020]

05:32 AM on 03/02/2012

While Romney was licking his silly chops President Obama delivered another outstanding speech to the auto industry, Sorry Mitt and GOP.......President Obama has this election wrapped up nicely unless of course you can quit the birthcontrol issues and dissing Women. That won't happen though.

My ballot will be cast for President Obama this November.

[Grabit]

03:51 AM on 03/02/2012

Panda, you need to find some binding. A bamboo fence will do. And then, when you're ready to come back and say something that makes some sense, maybe you'll find some way to escape. Until then, I suggest that you simply shut up until you can say something right.