The Democratic National Committee released a new Web video Friday mocking Mitt Romney over his reception in Great Britain on Thursday, where the press and political leaders both blasted the Republican presidential hopeful over his critique of the Olympic Games.
The video is a compilation of news coverage of Romney's trip, with American and British journalists chronicling the tough reception that the presumptive nominee received after saying he had heard "disconcerting things" about London's readiness to host the Games. In the upper left hand corner of the ad, a Twitter hashtag — #Romneyshambles — appears superimposed over the video.
The commercial was the first visible move by Democrats to capitalize on Romney's stumbles during his debut foreign trip. Looking to protect President Obama's perceived advantage on foreign policy, supporters have attempted to undermine Romney's diplomatic foray, which in many ways harkens back to a similar trip taken by then-Sen. Obama (D-Ill.) in 2008.
But while Obama earned adoring headlines, Romney's trip got off to a rough start. In addition to sharp criticism from the British press, Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson both knocked Romney over his remarks.
On Friday, the Republican hopeful sought to repair damage during an interview with NBC's "The Today Show," saying he was now “absolutely convinced that the people here are ready for the Games.”
"I read the same reports I think a lot of people did about the challenges being faced by the organizing committee, but after being here a couple days, it looks to me like London is ready, and of course it is hard to put on Games in a major metropolitan area, and what they've done, which I find so impressive, is put the venues right in city," Romney said.
