In the latest surrogate-centered attack, the Obama campaign went after Mitt Romney’s relationship with Donald Trump, the outspoken television personality who is apparently not sold on the validity of President Obama's birth certificate.
On Monday, the Obama campaign released a video that slams Romney for not dismissing Trump’s comments on Obama's citizenship, compiling a montage of his greatest hits on this issue. At one point, the video points out that Trump said Obama was born in Kenya, raised in Indonesia, and is possibly a Muslim.
The ad opens by commending Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for standing up to his supporters who thought Obama was dangerous or, by one woman's account, “an Arab.” But on Trump, the ad says, Romney has been silent.
Romney on Monday said that his campaign was not responsible for what every supporter says. “You know, I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in,” he said. "But I need to get 50.1% or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”
The Romney campaign is currently holding an online fundraising drive to win a chance to “Dine with The Donald" at Trump's home in New York. Romney is also holding a fundraiser with Trump and former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
And it doesn't look as if Trump is switching his position on this issue. "I've never really changed," he said on Tuesday on CNBC. "Nobody’s ever changed my mind.”
Romney has previously said that he will not make the “birther” issue part of his campaign. But the former Massachusetts governor and his campaign have hit the president on what some Obama surrogates have said about Romney in the past, most notably Bill Maher and Hilary Rosen.
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