Dems 'welcome back' Romney from overseas trip in new Web video

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a new Web video Wednesday mocking presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney for a series of gaffes on his recent overseas tour.

"Mitt Romney embarrassed himself and the United States on the overseas trip he just returned from.  This was a trip for which he set the bar on the ground and still failed to clear it.  His campaign says it doesn't matter — that no one is paying attention," said text released with video. "That's some mighty spin considering local television and local newspapers in states have repeatedly carried their own and national stories on the disaster." 

The over two-minute long video titled "‪#RomneyShambles: Welcome Back Mitt‬," features a round-up of local television news clips focusing on Romney's missteps abroad, and is set to the theme song from the classic television sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter." 

"Mitt Romney is on his way back stateside, heading to Boston after a difficult overseas trip … the Republican presidential candidate didn't seem to be able to stop making controversial comments," says one television reporter in the video.

The GOP presidential hopeful faced repeated criticism for off-message comments on his week-long foreign trip, including suggesting that he had observed "disconcerting things" about London’s readiness to host the Olympic Games. A remark which drew sharp criticism from British Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson. 

Romney then angered Palestinian leaders while in Israel after saying that "culture makes all the difference" when comparing the economies of Israel and Palestine.

On the last leg of the trip Romney's traveling press secretary Ron Gorka yelled "kiss my ass," to reporters trying to ask questions about the presumptive nominee's missteps. He later apologized.

The Romney campaign hit back against the DNC's characterization, and pointed to some of Obama's own foreign policy gaffes.

“Mitt Romney will be a president who unapologetically stands up for America and the enduring values of freedom. President Obama has weakened America’s position in the world and frayed relationships with our closest allies – all while earning effusive praise from the likes of Hugo Chavez and promising ‘more flexibility’ if re-elected. Governor Romney has laid out a steadfast foreign policy that will strengthen our interests, ensure our security, and let our friends know they have a partner in the White House," said Romney spokesperson Amanda Henneberg in a statement responding to the video. 

The GOP hopeful defended his remarks on Palestine in an opinion piece in the National Review Tuesday.

"Like the United States, the state of Israel has a culture that is based upon individual freedom and the rule of law. It is a democracy that has embraced liberty, both political and economic. This embrace has created conditions that have enabled innovators and entrepreneurs to make the desert bloom. In the face of improbable odds, Israel today is a world leader in fields ranging from medicine to information technology," wrote Romney.

Romney on Tuesday accused the press of focusing on his highly-publicized fumbles, rather than his substantive policy issues to divert attention away from Obama's economic record.

"I realize that there will be some in the fourth estate or in whichever estate who are far more interested in finding something to write about that is unrelated to the economy, to geo-politics, to the threat of war, to the reality of conflict in Afghanistan today, to a nuclearization of Iran," Romney told Fox News. "They'll instead try to find anything else to divert from the fact that these last four years have been tough years for our country."

—Justin Sink contributed.

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