Romney Campaign Press Release - Fill in the Blank: I'll Have More Flexibility to ______ After the Election

#ObamaFlexibility

"President Obama had a revealing and unguarded moment when he was caught on tape telling Russia's president, 'This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility.' President Obama signaled that he's going to cave to Russia on missile defense, but the American people have a right to know where else he plans to be 'flexible' in a second term.  Higher taxes, more spending and increased debt are all on the table as long as Barack Obama is in the White House, despite what he says publicly. President Obama needs to level with the American public about his real agenda." —Mitt Romney

Today, President Obama Hinted He Would Have More "Flexibility" With The Russians And Missile Defense In A Second Term:

President Obama Asked Russian President Medvedev For Some "Space" And Promised To Have More "Flexibility" On Missile Defense "After [His] Election." "President Barack Obama offered a private request Monday to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for some 'space' on missile defense ahead of November's elections. ... 'This is my last election,' Obama said in audio that could be heard on the TV pool's recording and that POLITICO listened to. 'After my election I have more flexibility.'" (Jennifer Epstein, "Obama Asks Russia For 'Space' Through Election," Politico, 3/26/12)

President Obama Has Hinted That He Would Raise Everyone's Taxes In A Second Term:

President Obama On The Timing Of His Tax Hikes: "Nobody Is Looking To Raise Taxes Right Now. We're Talking About Potentially 2013 And The Out-Years." OBAMA: "That is a reasonable proposition.  So when you hear folks saying, well, the President shouldn't want massive, job-killing tax increases when the economy is this weak -- nobody is looking to raise taxes right now.  We're talking about potentially 2013 and the out-years." (President Barack Obama, Press Conference, 7/11/11)

"Obama Would Block Extension Of The Reductions, Either As A Final Act In Office After Losing The November 2012 Election Or After Winning A Second Term." "A White House official argued Sunday that the president had another trump card to play: the scheduled expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts at the end of 2012. Obama would block extension of the reductions, either as a final act in office after losing the November 2012 election or after winning a second term." (Peter Wallsten and David Nakamura, "Did Obama Capitulate — Or Is This A Cagey Move?," The Washington Post, 7/31/11)

"[President Obama] Is Setting Up The U.S. Economy For One Of The Biggest Tax Increases In History In 2013." "President Obama unveiled part two of his American Jobs Act on Monday, and it turns out to be another permanent increase in taxes to pay for more spending and another temporary tax cut. No surprise there. What might surprise Americans, however, is how the President is setting up the U.S. economy for one of the biggest tax increases in history in 2013." (Editorial, "The 2013 Tax Cliff," The Wall Street Journal, 9/14/11)

President Obama Has Hinted He Would Revive His Cap-And-Trade Plan In A Second Term:

At A San Francisco Campaign Event, President Obama Hinted He Would Revive His Cap-And-Trade Plan After The Election. OBAMA: "We have to have an even more robust energy policy if we're going to create the kind of jobs in this new energy sector that are needed and we're going to deal with climate change in a serious way." (President Barack Obama, Remarks in San Francisco, CA, 2/17/12)

President Obama's Previous Attempts At Cap-And-Trade Would Have Enacted "The Biggest Tax In American History." "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has put cap-and-trade legislation on a forced march through the House, and the bill may get a full vote as early as Friday. It looks as if the Democrats will have to destroy the discipline of economics to get it done. ... Americans should know that those Members who vote for this climate bill are voting for what is likely to be the biggest tax in American history. Even Democrats can't repeal that reality." (Editorial, "The Cap And Tax Fiction," The Wall Street Journal, 6/26/09)

President Obama Has Hinted He Would Enact Even More Costly Regulations In A Second Term:

President Obama "Has Delayed Until After The Election" A Host Of Regulatory Decisions That Will Cost Billions Upon Billions Of Dollars. "Pending rules in the White House pipeline would position a re-elected President Barack Obama to outpace his predecessor with second-term rulemaking, according to a review of regulatory filings. Obama has delayed until after the election decisions on regulating ozone levels and rearview cameras for cars. Rules still need to be written to carry out much of Obama's signature first-term domestic policy initiatives, the health-care overhaul and the Dodd-Frank law regulating the financial industry." (Andrew Zajac, "Obama's Second Term To-Do List Positioned To Out-Regulate Bush," Bloomberg, 3/15/12)

• "The Ozone Rule Would Cost $19 Billion To $90 Billion In 2020, According To The White House." (Andrew Zajac, "Obama's Second Term To-Do List Positioned To Out-Regulate Bush," Bloomberg, 3/15/12)

• "The Obama Administration Puts The Cost Of Rearview Cameras At $2.7 Billion." (Andrew Zajac, "Obama's Second Term To-Do List Positioned To Out-Regulate Bush," Bloomberg, 3/15/12)

• "A Bloomberg Government Study In July Found That Four Provisions Of The Dodd-Frank Law May Cost Banks And Other Financial Services Companies $22 Billion, With Hundreds Of Rules Yet To Be Written." (Andrew Zajac, "Obama's Second Term To-Do List Positioned To Out-Regulate Bush," Bloomberg, 3/15/12)

President Obama Has Hinted That The Palestinians Should Wait For Statehood Negotiations Until His Second Term:

"President Barack Obama Has Told The Palestinians To Sit Tight During A U.S. Election Year..." "President Barack Obama has told the Palestinians to sit tight during a U.S. election year, while holding out the promise of a serious push for Palestinian statehood if he wins a second term, the Palestinian foreign minister said Friday." (Karin Laub, "In US Election Year, Palestinians Sidelined," The Associated Press, 3/9/12)

President Obama Said He Would Work With Palestinians On Statehood Negotiations Once He Was "Freed From Some Of His Domestic Political Shackles." "The Palestinians knew what they were in for as the U.S. headed into the campaign, Riad Malki, the Palestinian foreign minister, said in an interview. ... Asked whether Abbas holds out hope that Obama — if re-elected and freed from some of his domestic political shackles — will push hard for serious negotiations on Palestinian statehood, Malki said: 'They (the Americans) told us so.' He said the Obama administration asked Abbas to be patient until then." (Karin Laub, "In US Election Year, Palestinians Sidelined," The Associated Press, 3/9/12)