Washington: White House hopeful Mitt Romney has hit back at Barack Obama`s `Robin Hood in reverse` jibe, terming the President`s attacks at him as false and contemptible `Obamaloney`.
As the US presidential campaign peaks three months away from elections, it is sliding deeper into nasty terrain, with personal attacks increasing by the day.
The latest exchange between the incumbent and the challenger saw two new terms enter the American political lexicon.
A day after Obama used the term `Romney Hood` to describe his Republican rival`s tax plans, that would take away from the poor and enrich the already rich, in reverse Robin Hood fashion, Romney coined his own term to describe as nonsense the President`s increasing attacks at him -- `Obamaloney`.
Accusing Obama of making things up, Romney said the trend was "Hypocritical. Contemptible. Dishonest. Obamaloney".
"We have been watching the President say a lot of things about me and my policies -- and they`re just not right. And if I were to coin a term, it would be `Obamaloney. He is serving up a dish that is in contradiction to the truth," Romney told Fox News.
"The rhetoric, charges and counter-charges flew fast and thick as the presidential election campaign continued on its sharply negative trajectory," the CNN said, referring to the blame game from both the campaigns.
At a campaign event in Illinois, Romney told his audience to look at the performance of the US President.
"If you want to know where President Obama`s re-election would take us, you can simply look at his performance over the last 3 1/2 years," he said.
Romney launched an aggressive attack on Obama`s economic platform, accusing the administration of "gutting" the bipartisan welfare reforms championed by former president Bill Clinton 16 years ago.
The ad campaign said welfare changes by the administration would "gut welfare reform by dropping work requirements".
"Under Obama`s plan, you wouldn`t have to work and wouldn`t have to train for a job. They just send you your welfare check," the announcer says.
The advertisement was denounced by the White House as well as by Bill Clinton.
"This advertisement is categorically false, and it is blatantly dishonest. This administration`s policy will strengthen the programme by giving states the opportunity to employ more effective ways to help people get off welfare and into a job," White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, told reporters at his daily news conference.
In a late night statement, Clinton said that the claims being made by Romney were not true and the ad was misleading.
"Governor Romney released an ad today alleging that the Obama administration had weakened the work requirements of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. That is not true," he said.
"The Romney ad is especially disappointing because, as governor of Massachusetts, he requested changes in the welfare reform laws that could have eliminated time limits altogether.”
"We need a bipartisan consensus to continue to help people move from welfare to work even during these hard times, not more misleading campaign ads," Clinton said.
PTI
