President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign accuses Republican front-runner Mitt Romney of standing with Big Oil in a new television commercial running in Iowa, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. The video and transcript of the Obama campaign’s second ad in Iowa are after the jump. It’s a direct response to an anti-Obama spot about high gasoline prices, which is now running in Iowa and other swing states.
The Obama campaign’s first television commercial in Iowa and other swing states focused on energy policy and criticized the “secretive oil billionaires attacking President Obama.”
My annotated transcript:
Photo of Obama standing in front of an oil rig. Obama’s voice: I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this message.
Male voice-over: Under President Obama, domestic oil production’s at an eight-year high. [president’s photo remains on screen, bar graph appears showing oil production rising from 2009 to 2010 and 2011 with words “8-YEAR HIGH”.
So why is Big Oil attacking him? (Television screen shows footage from new anti-Obama ad, labeled “BIG OIL ATTACK AD” and “PAID FOR BY AMERICAN ENERGY ALLIANCE”)
Because he’s fighting to end their tax breaks. [new photo of Obama next to headline from CBS news story of March 29, “Obama: End Tax Breaks for Big Oil”]
He’s raising mileage standards [view switches to city street with cars driving by. USA Today headline from 11/16/11, “Obama: Raising Mileage Standards”]
and doubling renewable energy. [photo of Obama walking with two men in a field with huge solar panels as these words appear on screen: “Obama: Doubling Renewables.” Source given is Energy Information Administration.]
In all these fights, Mitt Romney stood with Big Oil. [Photo of Romney superimposed against gas pump with sale going up. Words on screen: “ROMNEY: For Big Oil Tax Breaks” Romney campaign memo, 3/4/12]
For their tax breaks, attacking higher mileage standards and renewables. [Same photo of Romney remains on screen, words change to “ROMNEY: Attacking Mileage Standards & Renewables” CNBC 11/9/11 & MittRomney.com ]
So when you see this ad, [Back to screenshot from anti-Obama ad, with “PAID FOR BY AMERICAN ENERGY ALLIANCE” visible on screen.]
remember who paid for it [words “BIG OIL” appear on screen]
and what they want. [visual of Romney photo next to gas pump reappears]
Devin Dwyer of ABC News quoted the Republican response to this commercial.
“It’s no surprise President Obama is spending his soon-to-be $1 billion war chest to attack Mitt Romney and deflect blame for his failure to control gas prices,” said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul.
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said the ad suggests Obama is “panicked” about the impact high gas prices may have on his re-election.
“Instead of implementing solutions, the president is once again trying to mislead voters with a negative attack ad in an attempt to get re-elected,” Kukowski said. “So much for the hope and change the president promised.”
Any comments about energy policy or the presidential election are welcome in this thread.
P.S.- Late last week, Obama recorded this special “message to Planned Parenthood supporters” for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.