Romney takes Obama to task for powerplay

Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney claimed president Barack Obama is running a campaign driven by “division and attack and hatred” and called on him yesterday to lift the tone of political discourse.

In an acrimonious race, Mr Romney told the CBS This Morning TV programme he thought Mr Obama was “running just to hang on to power, and I think he would do anything in his power” to remain in office.

He was speaking from Ohio, one of the key US states that will decide the November election.

But Mr Obama campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said Mr Romney’s comments seemed “unhinged”.

Mr Obama holds a slim lead in recent polls after Mr Romney recently announced his running mate, right-winger Paul Ryan.

On Tuesday, vice-president Joe Biden told a mostly black audience in Virginia that Republicans seeking less regulation of the financial industry wanted to “unchain Wall Street”. He added: “They’re going to put y’all back in chains.”

Speaking later, he said he had meant to say “unshackled.” But he did not apologise, and mocked the Romney campaign for feigning outrage.