Obama, Romney Spar Over Jobs, Economy

WHITE HOUSE — In his latest visit to Ohio, one of several key states in this year's U.S. presidential election, President Barack Obama on Monday accused presumed Republican presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney of proposing policies that would send more U.S. jobs overseas.

President Obama has a three to four point advantage over Mitt Romney in public opinion surveys conducted in Ohio, a Midwestern state where many jobs are linked to the U.S auto industry that Obama has taken credit for rescuing.

Obama held a town hall meeting with voters in Cincinnati, which is located in a more heavily-Republican part of the state. He discussed an analysis by a Reed College economist Kimberly Clausing, an expert on international tax issues and a contributor to Democratic candidates, including President Obama. The analysis estimates that Romney's proposal to exempt U.S. companies from taxes on overseas profits, would create some 800,000 jobs in other countries.

Obama said this should not come as a surprise because Romney's business experience as a venture capitalist included outsourcing American jobs.

"We don't need a president who plans to ship more jobs overseas or who wants to give more tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas. I want to give tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in Ohio, that are investing in Cincinnati, that are investing in Hamilton County. I want to give incentives to companies that are investing in you -- the American people -- to create American jobs, making American goods that we are selling around world, stamped with three proud words, 'Made in America,'" Obama said.

President Obama's campaign has focused sharply on Romney's business record at Bain Capital, when he relinquished control of the company, and his refusal to release tax returns beyond the last two years.

Obama political ads also portray Romney as someone who moved his own money to foreign tax havens. The Romney campaign says the former governor never avoided paying U.S. taxes.

As the president toured in Ohio, a Romney spokeswoman accused Obama of making "another dishonest attack" designed to distract the attention of Americans from the administration's failed economic policies.

Romney has demanded an apology from Obama over his campaign advertising. Both campaigns have stepped up negative attacks in recent weeks, with the latest Romney ads accusing the president of "political cronyism."

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Romney accused Obama of giving government contracts to political contributors, and said the president is conducting a campaign "based on falsehood and dishonesty."

Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, a potential Romney vice presidential choice, accused Obama of making personal attacks on Romney, while avoiding discussion of his own economic record.