One prominent Obama supporter made some news on the Sunday shows — by not going along with the campaign’s current line of attack against Mitt Romney.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker appeared on the Meet The Press panel, where the discussion turned to such topics as the Obama campaign’s attacks on Romney’s former company Bain Capital.
For his part, Booker said that Obama would have to remind the public about his achievements: “Start telling the truth about the Obama record to let people know that not only is he doing the kind of things, cutting taxes on the majority of Americans, but he’s also doing things to stimulate the economy and the economy’s getting better.”
Then Booker, who has acted as an Obama campaign surrogate in the past, deviated from the official path: “As far as that stuff, I have to just say from a very personal level I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity.”
“To me it’s just we’re getting to a ridiculous point in America, especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses. And this to me, I’m very uncomfortable with.”
Already, the Republican National Committee is linking to that statement by Booker.
Booker then went on to compare these attacks with the controversial proposal by conservative businessman Joe Ricketts’ political operation, to attack President Obama’s past membership in the church of Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
“But the last point I’ll make is this kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides,” Booker said. “It’s nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough.”
“Stop attacking private equity,” Booker continued. “Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. This stuff has got to stop, because what it does is it undermines, to me, what this country should be focused on. It’s a distraction from the real issues. It’s either going to be a small campaign about this crap or it’s going to be a big campaign, in my opinion, about the issues that the American public cares about.”
Booker later took to Twitter, to simultaneously reaffirm his comments and clarify his continuing support for Obama:
I’ll always prioritize my nation over a political party. & right now crass divisive partisan politics is not serving the citizens of my city
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 20, 2012
So I’ll clarify my comments on MTP. Yes, Obama must be re-elected. But we as a Nation owe it to him & ourselves 2 reject politics as usual
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 20, 2012
Late Update: Booker has taken to YouTube “expand[ing] on his support for President Obama” and saying his campaign should “examine” Romney’s record at Bain and “discuss it”:
