Barack Obama plumbs to 'new low' in campaign tactics

Barack Obama was accused of plumbing a "new low" in campaign tactics, as allies suggested Mitt Romney was partly to blame for a woman's death.

A campaign group backing Obama released an advertisement in which a steelworker said his wife died from cancer with no health insurance after his factory was closed by Bain Capital, the private equity firm where Mr Romney made his $250 million (£160 million) fortune.
"Mitt Romney and Bain closed the plant, I lost my health care and my family lost their health care," said Joe Soptic, of Missouri. "And a short time after that, my wife became ill." Priorities USA Action, a so-called "Super PAC", is led by a former senior White House aide to Mr Obama.

Republicans said the clip was "dishonest" as it emerged that Mrs Soptic died in 2006, several years after both the factory's closure and Mr Romney's departure from Bain.
Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist, described the advertisement as "absolutely deplorable" and urged Mr Romney to demand that Mr Obama publicly denounce it.
7th August 2012