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Obama "wants to hire more government workers," Romney said in Iowa, alluding to neighboring Wisconsin, where GOP Gov. Scott Walker had just triumphed in a recall election triggered by his attacks on public-sector employee unions. "He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message in Wisconsin? The American people did. It's time for us to cut back on government and help the American people." Democrats, eager to change the subject from the president's verbal misstep, counterattacked. Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said Romney was "calling for further job loss in the sector that needs the most urgent boost." Other Democrats noted the federal role in putting teachers in schools and police on the streets. Title I funding for school personnel was $14.5 billion this year, the Senate Appropriations Committee said. Federal grants to states for special education reached $11.5 billion. Millions of federal dollars put police and firefighters in various communities. On Fox News on Tuesday, Romney rejected claims that his policies would worsen unemployment and deprive communities of needed services. "Teachers and firemen and policemen are hired at the local level, and also by states," Romney said. "The federal government doesn't pay for teachers, firefighters or policemen. So obviously, that's completely absurd." That triggered a new round of criticisms of Romney's understanding of federal aid to state and local governments. Since then, Romney's "firemen" remarks and Obama's "private sector is doing fine" comment have been endlessly rehashed in campaign videos, news releases, cable TV, talk radio and elsewhere. They are virtually certain to live on in political ads in at least a dozen competitive states through Nov. 6.
[Associated
Press;
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