AP

WOLFEBORO, N.H
MITT Romney demanded on Monday that President Barack Obama back away from his persistent attacks on Romney’s record at Bain Capital, advising that it would be better “if you spent some time speaking about your record.” “What does it say about a president whose record is so poor that all he can do in this campaign is attack me,” Romney said in a nationally broadcast interview.

Obama said an interview that he has run mostly positive campaign ads but said they have not been given much attention in the media.

In his interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Romney was asked whether Obama should apologise for a series of statements and campaign commercials suggesting that Romney has not been truthful in his accounts of his record as head of Bain Capital, a private equity firm.

Romney responded, “I think when people have accused you of a crime, you have every reason to go after them pretty hard.” He defended his business record but did not demand an apology from Obama. Romney also declined to make a fuller disclosure of tax returns than he has already committed himself to releasing.

The latest exchange of barbs came as Obama prepared for a town meeting Monday in Ohio, a critical state for both candidates this year, and Romney was poised to join Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on a fundraising trip.

Obama’s campaign has been arguing that Romney’s record at Bain Capital indicates that jobs were shipped overseas under his watch.

That pitch has been given a lot of attention at a time when the nation’s unemployment rate remains above 8 percent and millions are out of work.

Asked about this, Romney said he was “very proud of the record I had in my business career.” He added: “I’d say to the president, wouldn’t it be interesting Mr.

President, wouldn’t it be interesting if you spent some time speaking about your record.” “A campaign spent on false charges and dishonesty doesn’t have long legs,” Romney said.

“When millions upon millions of dollars are given by the Obama administration to the businesses of campaign contributors, that’s a real problem, particularly at time when the middle class is really suffering in this country,” the former Massachusetts governor said. “This is a tough time in America. But if you’re a contributor to Barack Obama your business may stand to get billions or hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from the government.

I think it’s wrong. I think it stinks to high heaven.” Obama, in an interview broadcast on “CBS This Morning” Monday, was asked about the large number of negative ads that have been run against Romney by his campaign in recent weeks.