Mitt Romney attacked by Democratic National Committee, Rick Perry UPDATED

Rick Perry spot

UPDATED WITH REACT FROM ROMNEY CAMPAIGN…

WASHINGTON–GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney—for the moment a front-runner as rival Rick Perry falters–is being attacked from the right and the left on Monday–the day before another Republican presidential debate.

Perry released a hard hitting attack spot slamming Romney’s record as Massachusetts governor on health care–using President Obama’s praise of “Romneycare” to hit Romney.

From the Perry campaign: “Mitt Romney clearly supports government-mandated health care since he fought for his Massachusetts mandate, which provided President Obama with the blueprint for Obamacare,” said Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Romneycare has cost $8 billion and killed 18,000 Massachusetts jobs, yet Mitt Romney wrote in his book that his plan was a model for the nation. When it comes to government-mandated health care, there is no difference between Mitt Romney and President Obama.”

From the DNC: “The Democratic National Committee launched a new website today, www.WhichMitt.com, to help you figure out just “Which Mitt” you might get. The site allows voters to take the Mitt Quiz to see exactly how well they know the Republican front-runner’s many and contradictory positions on a range of issues. Most voters know Mitt Romney as the ultimate flip-flopper -someone who sticks his finger in the political wind and changes his positions so often you need a

statistician to keep up.”

On the debate, from Bloomberg: “Join us on Tuesday, October 11th at 7pm ET for the first economic debate of the Republican primary season. Bloomberg Television and The Washington Post, in partnership with WBIN-TV and host Dartmouth College, will present the first debate of the 2012 campaign focused exclusively on the issues voters consider most important – the economy, debt, deficits, taxes, trade and jobs. Moderated by Charlie Rose, The Washington Post political correspondent Karen Tumulty and Bloomberg White House correspondent Julianna Goldman.”

From the Romney campaign: “Governor Perry Today Continued His Weeks-Long Pattern Of Splicing Quotes And Distorting Facts:

“Perry’s Latest Video Again Deploys A Clipped And Misleading Version Of Governor

Romney’s Words. RUSSERT: “Why, if it’s good for Massachusetts and it’s working

in Massachusetts, wouldn’t you apply it to the rest of the country?” ROMNEY: “I

would.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 12/16/07)

“The Full Quote – Free From Perry’s Selective Editing – Shows Governor Romney’s

True Position. RUSSERT: “Why, if it’s good for Massachusetts and it’s working in

Massachusetts, wouldn’t you apply it to the rest of the country?” ROMNEY: “I

would.” RUSSERT: “A mandate?” ROMNEY: “No. Let me tell you what I would do, just

exactly as I described. I like what we did in Massachusetts. I think it’s a

great plan. But I’m a federalist. I don’t believe in applying what works in one

state to all states if different states have different circumstances.” (NBC’s

“Meet The Press,” 12/16/07)”