EXETER, N.H. (AP) — Eyeing the November election, Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday called presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney “out of touch” and “out of step” with history and basic American values.
Biden also opened a new line of attack by introducing the “Romney rule” and contrasting it with President Barack Obama’s hard push for the so-called “Buffet rule.”
The measure, which the White House named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, says wealthy taxpayers should not pay taxes at a lower rate than middle-class wage earners. In contrast, Biden said Romney not only wants to make Bush-era tax cuts permanent but also wants to give the wealthy additional tax cuts each year that are worth more than the annual income of an average, middle-class family.
“It amazes me. He offers this prescription as if it is somehow a new idea — like it’s something that we haven’t seen,” Biden said. “Folks, you’ve seen the movie. It doesn’t end well. Where has he been? Could it be he’s out of touch?”
Biden said Romney wants to take the nation down the same road that led to economic recession.
“It is true that the very top did very well, but the impact was our economy faltered, the middle class shrunk, the poor got poorer, and ultimately, the economy collapsed,” he said.
Biden said the money for tax cuts would be better invested in education, research and development, and clean energy.
While stressing that he wasn’t questioning Romney’s patriotism, the vice president also called Romney’s economic views “ out of step with basic American values” of rewarding hard work and ensuring that everyone plays by the same rules.
“Gov. Romney calls the president out of touch,” he said. “Hey, how many of y’all have a Swiss bank account? How many of you have somewhere between $20 and $100 million in your (retirement account)?”
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