Obama, Gingrich, Romney trade shots
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On a day that combined two campaigns into one, President Barack Obama on Wednesday challenged Republicans to raise taxes on the rich as GOP rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich swiped at him on the economy and criticized each other over immigration.
With a week to go before the Jan. 31 Florida Republican presidential primary, the polls suggested a tight race, although Romney and his allies seized a staggering advantage in the television ad wars.
They have reported spending $14 million combined on commercials, many of them critical of Gingrich, and a total at least seven times bigger than the investment made by the former House speaker and an organization supporting him.
Obama’s political timeline was a different one, Election Day on Nov. 6. In a campaign-style appearance in Iowa, he demanded Congress approve a tax increase for anyone like Romney whose income exceeds $1 million a year.
“This is not class warfare,” he said. “That’s common sense.”
Both Gingrich and Romney panned Obama’s proposal. Romney called Obama “the most antibusiness, anti-investment, anti-job creator administration I’ve ever seen.” outside Phoenix Wednesday. What she got was a critique of her book.
The two could be seen engaged in an intense conversation at the base of Air Force One’s steps. Both could be seen smiling, but speaking at the same time.
Asked moments later what the conversation was about, Brewer, a Republican, said: “He was a little disturbed about my book.”
Brewer recently published a book, “Scorpions for Breakfast,” something of a memoir of her years growing up and defends her signing of Arizona’s controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants, which Obama opposes.
Obama was objecting to Brewer’s description of a meeting he and Brewer had at the White House, where she described Obama as lecturing her.