President Obama's latest ad ties Republican Mitt Romney to former President George W. Bush's policies.
"You watched … and worried. Two wars. Tax cuts for millionaires. Debt piled up. And now we face a choice," says a narrator in the ad.
Although the ad doesn't mention George W. Bush by name, it alludes to the former president with images of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and narration about the Bush-era tax cuts.
"Mitt Romney’s plan? A new $250,000 tax cut for millionaires. Increase military spending. Adding trillions to the deficit. Or President Obama’s plan? A balanced approach. Four trillion in deficit reduction. Millionaires pay a little more," continues the narration.
The 30-second spot, titled "Worried," is set to air in the contested states of Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Florida.
The Bush-era tax cuts are being fiercely fought over in Congress ahead of their possible expiration on Jan. 1. Democrats want to extend the Bush rates on families with income up to $250,000, while Republicans want to extend all of the Bush-era rates.
Obama has repeatedly blamed Bush for the poor economy, and has argued his policies have steered the economy in the right direction. Republicans say Obama has made the economy worse.
“This is a ridiculous ad coming from a president who shattered his pledge to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Under Barack Obama, our nation has suffered from one trillion-dollar deficit after another, contributing to America’s first-ever credit rating downgrade. President Obama’s plans to raise taxes and cut the military won’t create jobs or make us safer. As president, Mitt Romney will revive our economy, strengthen our military, and repair the damage done to the middle class by President Obama’s failed policies, said Romney spokesperson Ryan Williams in a statement responding to the ad.
A poll for The Hill in July found that 34 percent of likely voters blame Obama for a weak economy and slow job growth, while 18 percent point to Bush.
—This story was updated at 10:15 a.m.
