Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said Monday that she didn't know whether Mitt Romney was being deceptive when describing plans by Chrysler to open a Jeep manufacturing plant in China.
Blackburn, appearing on MSNBC, was asked about an incident last week during which Romney said that he had seen reports Chrysler was looking to move production of the Jeep to China. The auto manufacturer denied the story, and the Tennessee lawmaker was asked if the Republican nominee was intentionally lying to win votes in the crucial battleground of Ohio.
"Oh, well, I don't know," Blackburn said. "I haven't talked with the campaign staff about that."
Romney initially made the claim during a campaign stop in Defiance, Ohio, home to a GM manufacturing facility.
"I saw a story today that one of the great manufacturers in this state Jeep — now owned by the Italians — is thinking of moving all production to China," Romney said. "I will fight for every good job in America. I'm going to fight to make sure trade is fair, and if it's fair, America will win."
The Obama campaign quickly called foul, pointing out that the plant in China would be a new facility aimed at building Jeeps for Chinese customers, and that Chrysler was also adding jobs in the United States for domestic production. Chrysler also issued a statement indicating it had no plans to move American production overseas.
For more on Blackburn's comments, click here.
