Romney tries new tactic

Republican now in bid to weaken Obama-clinton ties

WASHINGTON: Republican challenger Mitt Romney tried to drive a wedge between President Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton, who has taken an increasingly prominent role in Obama’s re-election effort with three months left until the election.

A new Romney campaign ad tries to cast Obama as a big-government liberal, accusing him of dismantling the groundbreaking welfare reforms Clinton put in place.

The Democrats recently announced that Clinton would have a prime speaking role at the party’s national convention in September, which will serve as a formal push into the final weeks of campaigning for the November election.

With the race tight and Romney and the Republicans leading in fundraising for a third straight month, the Democrats are seeking to take advantage of Clinton’s popularity and strong economic record while in office.

But the new Romney ad criticises Obama for removing work requirements from federal welfare regulations, a key element of Clinton’s 1996 welfare reforms.

The ad contends that Obama simply wants to hand out welfare cheques, while Romney would restore the work requirement.

“We will end a culture of dependency and restore a culture of good hard work,” Romney told an audience on Tuesday in Illinois.