Romney Campaign, Allies Unleash Torrent Of Anti-Obama Robocalls

WASHINGTON -- The Mitt Romney campaign and allied groups have released a series of automated phone calls to close out the presidential election, accusing President Barack Obama of attacking religious groups and threatening the economic livelihood of U.S. armed forces.

The calls, passed along by Shaun Dakin of StopPoliticalCalls.org, aren't as explosive as the one The Huffington Post reported on earlier this week, which called the president a "threat to religious freedom." But they do reflect the type of try-anything approach that the Romney campaign and conservative groups have adopted in the closing days of the campaign.

One of them, narrated by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on behalf of Romney for President, says that Obama "refuses" to stop the $500 billion "in automatic defense cuts that will be implemented in January."

"This threatens our national security and promises to sends hundreds of thousands of people from the front line to the unemployment line," McCain says.

In fact, the president has said the sequester won't happen, out of confidence that Congress will put together a replacement package of cuts that both parties like.

Another call, sponsored by the Catholic Association, asks: "Why is President Obama hurting charitable groups that help the poor?"

"Governor Romney has stood up for the Catholic Church and religious freedom time and time again," the call concludes.

The third and final call, again sponsored by Romney for President, features a frustrated former Obama supporter explaining why she can no longer back the president.

Campaign veterans insist that robocalls are one of the least effective forms of voter persuasion. But when you have millions of dollars to spend, and just days to do it, the prevailing thinking is likely, "why not?"

Original Article
Source: huffington post
Author: Sam Stein