GOLDEN, Colo. — President Obama mocked Republicans for their commitment to reducing taxes at a campaign appearance here Thursday, describing the GOP’s economic plan as, “If we cut more taxes, everything is going to be OK.”
The president, making his third stop in Colorado in three weeks, said he had a plan to reduce the deficit without “sticking it to the middle class,” while Republicans want to spend “trillions of dollars more on new tax breaks for the wealthy.”
“Tax cuts in good times. Tax cuts in bad times. Tax cuts when we’re at peace. Tax cuts when we’re at war. You need to make a restaurant reservation, you don’t need the new iPhone — here’s a tax cut for that,” said Mr. Obama, drawing laughter from the crowd of about 9,000 at Lions Park.
“You want to learn a new language. Try a tax cut. Tax cut lose a few extra pounds,” Mr. Obama said. “Whatever ails you.”
The president went on to say that he supports tax cuts for “folks who need it,” but that “I don’t believe another round of tax cuts for millionaires are going to bring good jobs back to our shores. They’re not going to bring down our deficits.”
The president prefaced his campaign speech with remarks about the Sept. 11 riots in Libya that left four Americans dead, including J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya.
“So what I want all of you to know is that we are going to bring those who killed our fellow Americans to justice,” Mr. Obama said. “I want people around the world to hear me: To all those who would do us harm, no act of terror will go unpunished. It will not dim the light of the values that we proudly present to the rest of the world.”
Nestled between the Rocky Mountains and Denver, Golden may be best known as the home of MillerCoors Brewing — and, in fact,there were a few campaign signs at the event for Republican congressional candidate Joe Coors — but it also lies at the center of Jefferson County, a battleground community that could decide which candidate wins Colorado.
The event broke with the president’s recent tradition of appearing on Colorado campuses. His last four rallies here have been held at colleges and universities.
A couple of hours later, the Romney campaign underscored the importance of Jefferson County by rolling the brightly painted “Romney bus” into Golden, carrying with it Josh Romney, the third oldest son of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Josh Romney joked that his father would call himself “frugal,” but that he and his brothers had another word for him: “cheap.”
“My dad had a lot of success in business, and he had some failures. And he learned from both experiences,” said Mr. Romney, who autographed campaign signs afterward. “You think about what we need in Washington: someone who has the know-how to get this economy going again.”
Colorado Republican Party chairman Ryan Call, traveling with Mr. Romney, told the gathering of about 100 supporters outside the Old Capitol Grill that President Obama must be worried about whether he can win Colorado, given his recent spate of appearances.
“Do you think he’s a little nervous?” Mr. Call said. “And frankly, my friends, he should be. He’s losing ground, and the reason is his record.”
In his speech, Mr. Obama said that Golden Mayor Marjorie Sloan had informed him that he was the first sitting president to visit Jefferson County since Ulysses S. Grant.
“Now, that’s pretty impressive,” Mr. Obama said. “Back then you couldn’t even vote. You guys were still a territory. So I’m glad to put down my marker here.”
The Colorado GOP issued a statement a few hours later correcting the mayor, pointing out that President George W. Bush made a Jefferson County stop in 2004, when he spoke at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo.
“President Obama is not the first president to visit Jefferson County,” said Colorado Republican Party spokesman Justin Miller. “He is, however, the first president to visit Jefferson County with 43 straight months of higher than 8 percent unemployment and a $16 trillion national debt under his belt.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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